I'll Be There For You
by angelheaded-revolutionist16
Summary: Formerly 'Our Very Own Sitcom' "Sometimes you fall for someone you'd never expect but that doesn't make it wrong." Grantaire paused and took a sip from his bottle and laid it down on the table quickly. "Doesn't everyone deserve to be happy?" Set in late 1990's France, Éponine just broke up with his long-term boyfriend and now needs comfort and a place to sleep.
1. Montparnasse

**_A/n: Hey beautiful readers (if i have any)! _****_This is my first ever fanfic (yay!) Anyway, I have been an avid fanfic reader since the beginning of time and I thought I'd give fanfic writing a shot. I love love love Les Miserables and I just adore the eponinexenjolras ship so I got on board. This is so exciting! (I actually should be studying for a maths exam tomorrow, but oh well.) enjoy? This one's set in the 1990's_**

**_Disclaimer: Les Miserables and all its characters are written and owned by Victor Hugo and all the rights go to him and the publishing company where Les Miserables was published. I own nothing_**

**Our Very Own Sitcom**

"Fuck you!"

And with that she ran out of the small apartment, tears started to trickle down her burning cheeks. She tried not to look back, almost tripping down the steps because of her blurry vision, she opened the building door and made her way out. The fresh air almost knocked her off of her feet, for a minute there she forgot how to breathe. She was hyperventilating now, she half-walked half-ran her way towards the parking lot and into her car.

"Babe, WAIT!"

That voice. She longed to hear that voice for the longest time, now that voice felt like the devil himself slithered his tongue into her ears. That voice felt sickening, it's hard to believe that that was the same voice that told her 'I love you' all the time, that that was the same voice she heard before going to sleep, she drove an hour and a half to hear that voice, she spent two years of her life being loyal to that voice. But now, all she wanted to do was to never hear that voice ever again.

She continued to walk hastily to her car, she ignored the voice and focused on just getting out of there.

"Éponine, wait" The man grabbed her by the right arm but she just pushed him away, causing him to stumble back a bit. She continued to move forward but the man grabbed her both arms and kept on making her face him.

"Éponine, come on just let let me explain" he started "it's not like what you think."

Éponine quickly shoved him away which caused him to move a couple of steps back.

"NOT LIKE WHAT I THINK?" She breathed in heavily. "You were both fucking naked! I saw you having sex with that whore, you piece of shit."

"That didn't mean anything." he retorted "I didn't feel anything. That was just a bit of fun, I missed you."

"You disgust me, Montparnasse."

She walked away, her tears were uncontrollable now, she tried to wipe them off with her hands but the water from her eyes just kept falling. She wanted to say so many things to him, she wanted to hurt him like the way he hurt her. She wanted to punch him, slap him, kick him in the balls, burn his house, burn his clothes, burn his fingers, skin him alive, crucify him, break his heart, shatter his soul, make him realise how much she truly hated him. She wanted to hurt him miserably until she feels better. But she didn't do any of that, she just walked away. Why? Because she knew doing those things to Montparnasse won't make any difference, he still cheated on her. And she would always still be the idiot who believed him every time he said that he would change,the idiot who forgave him everytime, the idiot who sacrificed so many things for a man who was incapable of giving her anything. No, doing those horrible things to Montparnasse wouldn't change anything.

As she opened her car she heard Montparnasse shouting

"FINE, GO! WHO'S GOING TO LOVE A GIRL LIKE YOU! NO ONE WOULD AND YOU'D COME CRAWLING BACK TO ME, BEGGING ME TO TAKE YOU BACK!"

She got in and slammed the door shut, she turned on her car and as if on cue, the radio started playing Bad Reputation by Joan Jett

_ I don't give a damn about my bad reputation_

_ You're living in the past it's a new generation_

She shifted her car to Montparnasse's direction and stepped on the accelerator. The back wheels of her car started to produce a bit of smoke because of the friction and she drove at Montparnasse's direction at full speed. Montaparnasse raised his hands and opened his palms, signalling for her to stop but Éponine just smirked, Montparnasse jumped to the side, hurting his right shoulder.

"YOU BITCH!" he shouted but Éponine just drove out of the parking lot completely ignoring Montparnasse's moans. Sure, hurting Montaprnasse wouldn't change anything but, boy, did she feel a lot better afterwards, even chuckling to herself as she sees Montparnasse in the rear view mirror rolling around the cement floor.

_**So yeah, the image of the characters are pretty much based on the movie!Les mis, so there's Sam Barks as Eponine, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras and well... I'm pretty sure that if you're reading this you're pretty much obsessed with Les Mis so I don't think I need to tell you all of the actors' and actresses' names and the characters they play. But for Montparnasse, just think of a really bad ass, dangerous looking character. any thoughts on who should be my fanfic!parnasse? please put them on the reviews or message me. au revoir**_


	2. December 1996

**A/n: Turns out I have readers (yay!) I'm actually, genuinely really happy you guys. Like, after I got back from school I immediately went online to check this story and there were reviewers! REVIEWERS AND READERS! waaaaaat (internally exploding because of endless gratitude for people who read and reviewed) like some even favourited it and followed this story! OMG! you guys are AWESOME! and like i wish i could bake you cookies and cupcakes and we'd have a huge garden party and we would dance. Gawd! now i'm really sacred though cause i dont want to disappoint any of you but im really thankful you guys, like totally! and I dont know but do you guys remember John Bender from the Breakfast Club? Do you think he'll make a pretty bad ass fanfic!Parnasse? **

**Disclaimer: ****_Les Miserables and all its characters are written and owned by Victor Hugo and all the rights go to him and the publishing company where Les Miserables was published. I own nothing._**

**_But seriously though i really fucking wish i did. but like do you guys think Victor Hugo had any feels when he was writing Les Mis, like endless nights of just sobbing his eyes out? ya know, like what we do every night because of all the feels._**

* * *

**December 1996**

_The night was crisp and the hours were late, small amounts of snow came trickling down the night sky and kissed her dark face. She was walking the lonely streets of Paris, tired and exhausted from the day's work. These were the moments of peace for her, the darkness of the night and the peace of the usually bustling city provides her with a sense of serenity. The closing of shops and the lights being turned off from tall, big buildings provided her with some sort of privacy. The city was closing its eyes, falling asleep and getting ready for another day. She walked slowly, taking her time, she didn't want to go to bed no matter how much her limbs begged for it, her eyelids were dragging themselves down to grant her tired eyes' wishes, her whole body desired to go back to her cold, lumpy bed. And yet, she took her time, she didn't want to go back to the dorm where a smiling, happy Cosette would meet her and she's probably going to tell her how dearest Marius Pontmercy swept her off of her feet. She didn't want to be loaded with jealousy and possibly hatred for a nice girl like Cosette. She took her time to postpone, even for just a few minutes, the feeling of throbbing pain in her burning heart, she took her time because when she wakes up in the morning, she would have to suffer again, a life without her brothers and sister, a life without him, a life on her own. She want this stillness to be infinite, to make this in between last forever, this sense of serenity and peace, alone with only her thoughts to accompany her, time just slipping by and all care just escapes her body. This is the closest Èponine will probably get to the feeling of contentment. Happiness seemed to always elude her but still she hoped, that somehow tomorrow would be different, that maybe tomorrow would bring in another door to happiness, that maybe tomorrow would be the day happiness and contentment would rush to her and greet her as if they were long, lost friends. Even with her dark, lonely life there would always be that one spark of light that would keep her going. When Èponine was very young, she remembered that the light of her life was her father and mother and their wealth, they used to own an inn somewhere in Montfermeil but the authorities searched the place and concluded that the place was dirty, unhealthy, not good enough and that her parents were charging unreasonable prices. For that they shut it down and they were fined, which made her family financially bankrupt. The Thènardiers moved to Paris to look for better opportunities but alas, honest work wasn't really something her parents were good at, her parents made her work and do jobs that were never legal, they became cold and she became independent, Èponine got kicks and punches everytime she screwed up with a job, she forgot what it was like to trust, to be loved, to feel safe to feel happy. They lived in a small apartment in Paris that's where she met the young Marius Pontmercy. A smart, kind and handsome young lad who ran away from home. He lived in the same apartment building as she was, although she could never understand how a rich bourgeois boy would exchange the comforts of his wealth to a pitiful little apartment and an even pitiful life that he was living. Marius became her saviour, the light of the sun in the endless night of her miserable life. When Èponine was with Marius she became the little girl she used to be, everytime she was with Marius she remembered what it was like to feel loved and special. She fell in love with the boy and that, to her, felt amazing. Marius became the reason she moved away from her parents' criminal lives and tried to focus on school and her talent. Because who would fall in love with a penniless, dirty criminal? Definitely not a rich, bourgeois such as Marius. She still worked for her parents though, all through out high school but she just focused more on her studies than pick pocketing all the other kids in class._

_"'Ponine."_

_A sly voice made her stop on her tracks, it was a voice from her past, a voice she didnt know she would ever hear again. She looked back and a dark, figure of a man slowly appeared in a dark alleyway. Èponine looked around her and noticed that she and this man was alone, she looked back at him intently waiting for his face to come into the light before she start speaking. Slowly, the man took a few steps towards Èponine._

_"So, you're a uni girl now, eh?" He asked with a chuckle. He released himself from the grasp of the shadows and stepped into the light. Èponine was taken a little aback, she blinked a couple of times to see if this was real. She examined his face, his hair, his shoulders, his body, she even thought of touching him just to really convince herself that the man standing in front of her was real._

_She cleared her throat and stood up straight._

_"What's it to you, 'Parnasse?" She said sharply. Trying not to make her voice tremble._

_He just smiled at her and grabbed a pack of cigarette from his leather jacket. He stole one cigarette from his pack and lit it, he offered her the pack still smiling but she just stared at him waiting for an answer._

_"Just askin." He replied coolly and put the pack of cigarettes down his jacket._

_The cold, December wind greeted them with a soft blow but enough for Èponine to tighten her black, rundown coat with holes in pockets and loose thread hanging from the sides._

_They stayed like that for a while, just looking at each other trying to figure out if the other is really there or just a ghost that escaped the past._

_"So, you're out, huh?" Èponine said, finally breaking the invading silence. Curiosity filled her dark, brown eyes, Èponine cared for the man, even with his abusive nature Montparnasse was sometimes kind to Èponine and he showed her affection but one wrong move and he would turn detrimental._

_"Yeah." Montparnasse said proudly. "Just last May actually, got myself a job as a car mechanic, doesn't really pay much though but I suppose it's better than nothing. I also have a small apartment in Reims and I've stayed there since I got out."_

_Montparnasse put the cigarette back into his mouth and breathed in. He blew out the smoke that was trapped in between his lips and looked back at her waiting for her to say something._

_"Well that's good." Èponine said with deep sincerity. "But why are you in Paris when you live all the way in Reims?"_

_"I wanted to see you." He replied_

_"Why?"_

_"I want to talk to you." He threw his cigarette down the street floor which was dashed with a bit of snow._

_"Well, you should probably just go back to Reims because I have nothing to say to you." She turned her back against Montparnasse and started walking slowly, he brought back memories that Èponine was trying to forget. Montparnasse brought back the pain from her old, life, she remembered all her bruises, her cuts, the throbbing pain on her cheeks every time her father had a bit too much to drink, her aching scalp after her mother pulled her hair, the endless nights of hunger and thirst, the feeling of being looked down on, being laughed at, being judged, being told that she was a useless, worthless, a good for nothing piece of shit. She touched her stomach - the scar was still there. Montparnasse brought with him all those images, he was a reflection of the past she's trying to escape._

_"I came here to apologise." He whispered but loud enough for her to hear._

_She stopped walking, she was at least 10 feet away from Montparnasse. He held his head into the light from the street light above him and the light shone on his face. Why was he apologizing It wasn't his fault that her parents are now in prison, it wasn't his fault that Azelma and Gavroche are both in foster homes._

_"I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you, I'm sorry that 'Zelma and Gavroche are nowhere near you, I'm sorry that you got shot. I was there and I didn't even helped you, you were bleeding 'Ponine, and I fucked up. I ran away, I'm a fucking coward. I'm sorry"_

_He paused and put his hand on his face and pushed his hair back, this gave Èponine a better look at his face._

_She walked a little closer to Montparnasse, joining him inside the small circle of light that the street light provided, he was taller than her but from where she was, she could see his eyes. They were a bit red, as if he was on the verge of crying and he was breathing in heavily._

_"I should've helped you, I should've pushed Thenardier. I'm sorry, 'Ponine, I'm really sorry."_

_Èponine didn't expect this from Montparnasse, she didn't expect him to come to Paris to see her and apologize to her, she didn't expect to see Montparnasse almost cry, she wasn't expecting to see a fragile, almost broken Montparnasse in front of her._

_Èponine looked at him profoundly, she believed him. She knows that it was stupid but there was something genuine about that moment, she felt like something true was finally coming out of a liar's mouth. After a while Èponine started to speak._

_"At least something good came out of it, like you said I'm a uni girl now."_

_She could hear Montparnasse chuckle a bit from her comment, this made her smile a little._

_The stayed silent for a while, Montparnasse took another cigarette and lit it between his lips. The only sound surrounding them are the gentle blows of the wind, Montparnasse's burning cigarette and the silent echoes from the world outside them. She looked at him, Montparnasse looked calmer now, 3 years in prison has really changed him._

_"So," Now it was Montparnasse's turn to break the silence. "Do you want to catch up? Grab something to drink, you know, talk?"_

_"I would love to."_

"FUCK!"

She shouted as she slapped the palm of her hands to the steering wheel of her car. Her tears were an endless waterfall, her face was wet and so was her neck and her favourite white blouse. She just wanted to cry all her feelings out, cry until it stopped hurting, cry until she goes numb, all she wanted to do was drain herself from everything and just let it all escape her. Her foot was slammed against the accelerator and she was going at full speed, rock and roll blasting through the radio, she can't believe she drove an hour and a half to go to that pig's house. She can't believe she even considered living with that fucker, she can't believe she even trusted him, loved him and cared for him.

"Fucking idiot!" she said to herself

Just then, a deafening sound bounced on her eardrums and she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. Her blurry vision was no use either, she wiped her eyes hastily to see clearly. Her eyes stopped flooding and became wide open.

* * *

**well, I know that this chapter isnt really that much but i hope it answered some of your questions. I know, my writing's not pretty, well whaddaya expect? i'm all ideas no talent. anyway i truly appreciate you guys taking the time to read this fanfic like super thankful ;) anyway, i would really appreciate some constructive criticism concerning my writing, that would be very helpful for you and me. again, thank you... sa susunod ulit ah! paalam**


	3. Every New Beginning

**A/n: So, this one's a bit short. I honestly just want to get in the main plot, ya know, and like just get there and like ya know (i really wish you can see my face now like im so frustrated with the pace of this story) ugh. anyway, i hoope you guys like the story so far and i know it's a bit slow but im getting there. i really am. so anyway, thank you so much for reading this, you guys. And if you just want to comment on something, please dont hesitate. any kind of criticism will be much appreciated. thank you so much you guys, like reading your reviews and seeing how many people clicked this and read it, really makes my day. and thank you so much for everyone who favourited this and followed it. i am just so grateful, like everytime i get an email regarding this fanfic, i literally jump up and down (you can ask my spanish teacher). Thank you so much!**

**_Disclaimer: Les Miserables and all its characters are written and owned by Victor Hugo and all the rights go to him and the publishing company where Les Miserables was published. I own nothing_**

* * *

**Every New Beginning**

Her mom, her dad, Gavroche, her two little brothers, Azelma, Montparnasse, his whore, Marius, Cosette, Mr. Fauchelevent, Marius's university friends, university, her dorms, her laughs, their jokes, her bruises, the slaps, the kicks, the money, the books, the smell, the parades, the clothes, the riots, the kids, the gun. Everything flashed right before her eyes.

The big truck was headed her way, she must have drifted off to the other side of the road while she drowned in the ocean of broken promises and her own self loathing. Adrenaline rushed through her and she snapped back to reality, she blinked a couple of times to see if this was real. It was. The horns of the huge truck echoed in her ears, the driver signalling for her to get out-of-the-way. She pugnaciously turned the steering wheel to the right, almost crashing into a red car which quickly drives away. She tried to keep her hands steady, her whole body was trembling. She kept her driving straight and slowed down a little, keeping pace with all the other drivers, she was at the right side now. The truck passed by her and shouted "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" angrily.

"Breathe in, breathe out" She thought. "Breathe in, breathe out"

After a couple of minutes of breathing exercises, she again broke down and started sobbing. She drove her car to the side of road, staying away from all the other drivers. The sky turned bleak and grey. She stopped the car, rested her head on the edge of car seat and closed her eyes,  
letting all her tears to roll down to the side of her face, wetting her hair. She clenched her jaws and let the music fill her senses.

_Closing Time_  
_Time for you to go out to the places you will be from_

"But why does it hurt like this?"

She knew why. It hurt her so much more than her father's endless beatings, her mother's harsh words, hurt her so much more than seeing Marius Pontmercy fall for Cosette. Seeing Montparnasse have sex with another girl hurt so much because she let herself be vulnerable to him, she believed him. She knew what kind of person Montparnasse was from the beginning, she knew that he was the kind of man who would never change, and yet she let herself be fooled, let him get under her skin. She loved him and it was her own fault. Seeing Montparnasse cheat on her made Éponine realize how easily replaceable she is, how she's not good enough to make him stay loyal to her, how she's not really worth the trouble. She got hurt and it was her own fault

_Closing time_  
_This room won't be open till your brothers or your sisters come_  
_So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits_  
_I hope you have found a friend_

"Marius" the name escaped her burning lips. She opened her eyes and looked at the car's tattered, brownish roof.

What she needed now was a friend and a drink, a lot of drink. Marius was the only person who knew her deep enough, he understood her, the first person she met who did not judge her, Marius was a man who truly cared for her and she was grateful for that. She just wanted to get rid of all these 'hurt' that she was feeling and she knew Marius would listen.

He's the only one she's got.

_Closing time_

Éponine breathed in heavily and wiped her tears and put her long black hair into a ponytail. She looked at herself from the rear view mirror and noticed that her mascara and eyeliner got wet and streaks of black can be seen on her face. She wiped them with her white blouse and she blinked a couple of times just to keep herself from crying again

"Breathe in, breathe out"

She made herself forget what happened until she's safe in Marius's loving words. The rain started to pour down and she drove off

_Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end_

* * *

**well, whaddaya think? please put them on the review and like i said, any kind of criticism will be much appreciated. And again, thank you thank you thank you so much for reading my wee fanfic. Guest User Iris, you made my day, thank you so much. DangerGirlRed2011, Caroline Writes and Eponine T. Daae you guys are awesome. thank you so much, you guys are like the first reviewers and readers. so thank you :) Ciao****!**


	4. The Cafe Musain

_**A/n: Hey beautiful creatures! How you guys doin'? School has been a bit hectic, i've had like 2 maths exams this week and I have been just so effing busy ands i've been reading Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, im like halfway ands i really need to catch up on my reading. btw, i found a summer job! aww yiss, money making time, bitches! i dont really know why im sharing this but i thought you guys would like to know a bit about me? or not, totally understandable if you dont. i wouldnt want to know unnecessary shit from me too. anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS STORY AND STAYING, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT YOU GUYS, YOUVE MADE ME SUPER HAPPY!**_

**_Disclaimer: Les Miserables and all its characters are written and owned by Victor Hugo and all the rights go to him and the publishing company where Les Miserables was published. I own nothing_**

RED ALERT: there is some mentions of guns, alcohol, blood and bruises.

* * *

The Cafe Musain welcomed everyone, from hectic-with-the-schedule office workers to Saturday night party goers, from my-thesis-is-due-in-3-hours university students to drunkards who have nothing better to do. The café was busy during the morning,pleasant at noons, and lively when the nighttime comes, there was never a dull moment in the Cafe Musain.

But on this particular day, the Cafe Musain felt odd inside, it was quiet-too quiet that it almost felt uncomfortable, something was missing. The happy faces that would usually surrond the cafe now became grave and dark, everybody inside looked alone, deserted. Joining those long faces were Éponine, she was wet from both her tears and the rain, she sat on the end where a chair seemed to be waiting for her.

'Keep it together' Éponine tried to relax and tried the breathing exercises again until the bartender swinged into her little corner and tried to be friendly.

"Long day?" The voice of the bartender had a peaceful but also a ragged sound to it.

Éponine managed a small, sad smile. "You have no idea." She replied

"Can I get ya anything?" He started to wipe the spotless table with a white rag. But before she could say  
anything the bartender interrupted and asked "whiskey, on the rocks?"

She just nodded, that's one of the things she loved about the Musain. They always know what to serve you.

"Looks to me like you need a phone call," the bartender said while pouring whiskey into her glass that had very little ice on it; the bartender was being generous. "There's a working phone booth right at the back, don't worry about your drink. It'll be right here when you return" The bartender set her drink down, Éponine took one sip before getting up.

She walked to the backroom, passing by the stairs and a very familiar table

She reached for the phone and dialled Marius's telephone number that she memorized. It rang for a couple of seconds until finally someone picked up.

"Hello?" A female voice perked up from the other line.

"Hey, Cosette, is Marius there?" Éponine tried to hide her slurry voice.

"No, um, he's just away to the shops. Why? Éponine is there something wrong?" Éponine could almost see Cosette's face on the other line; looking all concerned and ready to listen.

"No, um, yeah, but you know," She breathed in heavily, trying to keep herself together. "no worries, just tell Marius to swing by the Musain." She bit her lip, she wanted to tell Cosette but she figured that Marius would tell her anyway.

* * *

Marius took a few minutes to get to the Musain, when Cosette told her about the phone call with Éponine, he dropped the bags on the floor and rushed to the cafe. Éponine was one of the most important people in the world for him, she helped him while he was living in poor conditions after he ran way from his grandfather and started living on his own. He lived in a small apartment and Éponine would usually accompany him and make him smile and comfort him, she was a year younger than him but he found her to be smarter and wiser than the nosy, bourgeiuos that he grew up with. He lived on the Gorbeau Apartments (the apartment building they both shared) for a year until what happened to Éponine

**BANG**

He can still hear the gun go off and Éponine's red blood is still vivid in his mind.

Marius wasn't a violent person but if anyone ever hurt Eponine, his would be the last face they see.

* * *

He arrived at the Musain, he was dripping wet and disheveled. His eyes darted to the bar and he saw Éponine sulking and taking small sips from her glass, he took his jacket off and hanged it on the coat rack. He hurried to her side and kissed her hot cheeks, he ordered a beer and sipped a little before he started to speak.

"Hey" Marius started. "You wanna tell me anything?" He knew how secretive and silent Eponine can be at times, she would usually left bits out from a story and only tell what people wants to hear. She didn't like showing emotions, she hated feelings and would rather be left alone to suffer and drown into an abyss of hidden feelings. She hated wasting other people's time talking about petty things like love or pain or stuff like that, she enjoyed doing things on her own, suffering on her own and getting out of something on her own.

Éponine started to sob a little.

'This must be something major' Marius thought. He stayed silent, he hated seeing the usually strong, hard Éponine break down into this. He stayed silent, she wasn't the kind of girl who would believe things like 'it'll get better','just hold on a bit', 'this is just a rough patch'. No, she hated small speeches like that, she hated it when people pretend to understand something when they clearly don't.

"Um," Éponine looked at him with her sad, watery dark brown eyes. "Montparnasse cheated on me."

She said it so casually, she said it as if it was one of her university stories or like mentioning something completely normal and typical. Marius tried to look shock or baffled but he failed, he kind of expected this to happen from the very beginning. He even tried to talk Éponine into breaking up with Montparnasse after seeing a couple of bruises after she got back from the Christmas break she spent with Montparnasse in his place in Reims. What really shocked him was that it took two for this kind of thing to happen, Marius was both happy and sad for Éponine, he was happy that she finally  
realized how abusive, manipulative and a liar Montparnasse is, he was sad for her because she trusted Montparnasse and trust wasn't something Éponine gives out to people easily. He was sad for Éponine because he knows that she may never trust anyone again, and that will suck and it'd be lonely and sad and depressing and Marius doesn't want Éponine to feel that way ever.

"So, do you want to talk about it?"

Eponine let out a short chuckle and then took another long sip from her glass, emptying it. She raised her hand signalling the bartender to refill her drink.

"How many have you had?" He asked

Éponine looked up, closed her eyes and scrunched her nose as if trying to remember. She looked at Marius and said "Like four or something."

"Six" the bartender half-shouted "six, actually. She drank 5 glasses of whiskey before you came in and that's her sixth" He said, pointing at the empty glass.

"I think you've had enough, 'Ponine." He said with control. Marius nudged Éponine lightly on the shoulder. "Let me take you somewhere."

Éponine rested her head on the counter then looked up at Marius. "Okay."

"Give me your keys, I'll drive."

* * *

This chapter was stupid (i know), anyway i think i'll put the next chapter up this saturday (sound good?) cause i really need to update this fanfic. ands this just makes me soo happy. Thank you for reading this chapter and i hope you'd stay and tune in (get it? cause, sitcom,tune in? no, okay i'll just...yeah...) Auf Wiedersehen!


	5. One Shot in the Dead of the Night

_**A/n: Hey y'all! here's your chapter (as promised), anyway i'm sorry it's a bit late. I just woke up (yay) anyway, thank you so much for your patience, you guys, i know it's a bit slow and i am going to try to speed it up but there is definitely some mentions of Enjolras and the rest of the amis next chapter. thank you so much for reading this fanfic you guys like totes. i will update as soon as possible . I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Les Miserables and I also don't own Les Miserables. Shoutout to Victor Hugo, my dawg, he owns it. **_

_Warning: There is some mentions of violence which may provoke others._

* * *

**One Shot in the Dead of the Night**

Marius stopped the car on the side of the road, next to an opening to a small, dark alleyway. It had stopped raining but it was still gray out, they sat in silence for a while until Eponine spoke up

"Really, here?" She looked at Marius with a disapproving look.

"Yeah, get out of the car. Let's go" And with that Marius got out of the car and opened the passenger's seat car door, leading Éponine out.

He knew what this meant, this was the place Éponine got shot and it wasn't really her fondest memory but if he wanted Éponine to close all her ties to Montparnasse and her past, this was the only way he could think of. They started walking and stopped at the middle of the alleyway, they were alone and there was rainwater dripping down from the apartments that circled the alley.

"So, why here?" She finally asked.

"Éponine, this was the last place you saw Montparnasse, your dad and the rest of the Patron-Minette before they got arrested."

She let out and exasperated sigh, she really doesnt want to be there. "Where are you going with this?"

"I want you to cut all ties with Montparnasse here, make this the last place where you saw him." He tapped the ground with his foot. "Say goodbye to him here, forget what just happened and forget that you ever saw Montparnasse two years ago. Forget about the relationship. Make this place the last place you saw him." He said, he seemed so proud of himself, he thought this idea of his was probably the best idea he's ever had.

Éponine looked around, the place was wet and dirty with grime.

"Seems like nothing has changed." She said. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Break down."

It seemed to Éponine that Marius was speaking Chinese

"Break down?"

"Yes, Eponine, break down. You have so many kept up emotions and feelings inside of you, I want you to let them all go, you can scream, shout, punch the pavements, cry. Do shit that will make you feel better. Come on, we're the only ones here."

"Remember what happened here?" Éponine said

Of course he did, it was the kind of memory he'll take to his grave. He remembered every second of it.

* * *

_It was 4 years ago, a midnight in July 1994, the sun had already set and the darkness filled the city. Marius and Éponine just got back from the Musain. He insisted that they celebrate Éponine's graduation from high school, he was a first year at the university and he decided to take Éponine for a drink, his friends were there and he introduced them to Éponine. They had so much fun and that was the very first time Marius saw Éponine as a carefree, happy girl and he didn't know how much he wanted to see her like that until finally seeing her. She looked beautiful, being happy suited her._

_They were walking down the same alleyway, it was a shortcut to the Gorbeau Apartments. Since they both lived in the same apartment building, they went home together, they both had a little too much to drink and they were both quite tipsy._

_"That was fun." Éponine said with her slurry, laughing voice._

_"Yeah, we should do that again sometime." Marius tried to keep Eponine on her toes but they eventually fell and they both cracked up when their bottoms hit the cold, hard ground._

_"Well, well" A voice from the shadows stopped their laughter, the once happy atmosphere collapsed into an uncomfortable, invading silence. Marius knew exactly who it was, he got up and helped Éponine who started to speak up._

_"Papa, what do you want?" She said sharply_

_"Well, I'm here to congratulate my dear daughter." Thenardier moved away from the shadows and he was smiling, his yellow teeth gleamed in the light, there was only one lamppose in the area. He was_  
_wearing a cheap, black coat, Thenardier tried to hug her daughter but she moved away._

_"I see, you brought your burgeois boyfriend."_

_"He's our neighbor, papa" Marius noticed Éponine almost shaking, something was going to happen, Marius was sure of it._

_"Oh, I see" Thenardier moved his gaze from Éponine and focused on Marius. "Well, where are my manners. I am Thenardier and I don't thInk we've formally met." He held out his hand which Marius gladly accepted and shook. Thenardier's hands were calloused while Marius's were cold._

_"Fancy ring you got there." Thenardier's smile widened and twisted Marius's hand to get a better look._

_"Thank you," He took his hand back "it was my father's"_

_"Ah," Thenardier's lips pursed and his face became serious, "Give me it"_

_Marius tried not to look shocked, he and Éponine moved away a little and tried to make a run for it but the rest of the Patron-Minette surrounded them. Marius looked back at Thenardier who now had his palms open and his hands stretching out. Marius reached for his wallet and threw it infront of him "Just take my wallet."_

_Thenardier catched the wallet and looked inside, he gave him a displeased look. "There isn't much in here."_

_"Papa.." Éponine tried to speak up but a huge, fat man got a hold of her and put his hands on her mouth. She kept fidgeting to escape the clutches of the man's hands but he seemed to just tighten his hold of Éponine._

_"That's because I'm not rich. I'm a working student, I live right next to you."_

_"Ah yes, but that doesn't make you poor. You are merely a runaway, your grandfather will pay a generous amount to have you back." He smiled at the idea. "I won't bring you back to your grandfather if you just give me the ring."_

_Marius knew Thenardier was lying, he will probably kidnap him when he got back to his apartment. "No" Marius said with control_

_"Well, you give me no choice, my boy" Thenardier reached for something behind him and slowly pointed a gun at him. "Gimme the ring or I'll shoot you."_

_"You wouldn't dare." Marius said trying to keep his sanity together. His palms were sweaty and his body was trembling. He couldn't believe how fast this was going, it seemed like just a minute ago he, Éponine and his friends were all having a good time. But now, a man in front of him was deciding whether or not to kill him for a golden ring._

_"I fucking will" Thenardier looked serious, the gun was still pointed at Marius. "Give me it!" Thenardier said almost shouting, which made Marius flinch and almost fall on the ground. Thenardier chuckled a little which made the rest of the group laugh._

_Éponine took this opportunity to push the huge man holding her into the wall and kick him on the shins. Éponine ran to Marius's side, the man tried to run and get a hold of her but Thenardier stopped him._

_"Gueulemer" Thenardier waved him off. "I see little missy wants to fight, eh?"_

_"I'm going to scream." Eponine said with force, she was the bravest person Marius has ever met, to threaten crminals like the Patron-Minette must take some massive guts. This wasn't the first time Éponine threatened and defied her father's wishes, Éponine was a force to be reckoned with._

_"One little scream and I swear, my dear child, you'll regret it for a year" Thenardier said, completely unmoved by her daughter's threats. He scratched his head with the gun as if trying to remember something. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes" He pointed the gun back at Marius. "You ready to give me the ring?"_

_Marius looked at the ring, it was the only thing he has of his father. He didn't knew him or have ever seen him before, only in photos that were soon burned and gone. His grandfather manipulated him and told him disheartening things about his father. But when Marius found out that his grandfather hated his father only because of their political differences and social statuses, he took off. He lived a poor life on his own since then, a life like his father's, the ring was the only thing that connected them together,_  
_and to let go of it was something he would never do._

_"Over my dead body." Marius gazed at him intently, he knew that he might die at that very moment but he didn't care. He would never let go of the ring, it was something he would hold up until his last breath._

_"Your wish is my command." Thenardier raised his hands and pointed the gun straight at Marius, he wasn't scared to use the gun on a stubborn, burgeois like him. As he was about to pull the trigger, Éponine jumped in front of Marius and the gun was pointed directly at her stomach. The gun flashed, Marius saw everything, he didn't know why but he felt as if his senses were extra sharp. The rest of the Patron-Minette scattered like mice, Thenardier still looked as if in the state of shock when_  
_another member of the Patron-Minette pushed him and dragged him out of the scene. A boy, he looked as if he was the same age or a year older than Marius, dropped to the floor for a second, as if in a state of shock but run away quickly._

_Éponine was on her knees with her mouth open and her back against Marius, he sat next to her, cradling her frail body. Marius's breathing stopped for a second, he looked at his friend straight in the eyes, she was still in a state of shock, they both were. Marius felt something wet on Éponine's clothes, he looked at her stomach and there it was. Red blood raced out of her body. He made her lay down on his knees and held her._

_"Oh God, it's everywhere." Marius took his hoodie off and placed it against Eponine's stomach. "HELP!" Marius's voice cracked._

_"Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius, I don't feel any pain." Eponine tried to speak up, her voice was slurry and breathy. Her stomach just kept on bleeding, he pushed his hoodie deeper but it just seemed to accumulate more blood._

_"A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now. You're here that's all I need to know." Marius held her hands tightly and yelled "HELP" two or three more times. It wasn't raining, Éponine was drenched in so much of her own blood that she must have thought it was raining, Éponine started fidgeting from the pain but she still managed to smile. Her face was so close against Marius's,_

_'If I die tonight,' She thought to herself. 'at least yours would be the last face I see.'_

_"A breath away from where you are, I've come home from so far." Éponine closed her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw, she tried to hide the pain but it was too unbearable. Marius cried out for help once more._

_"Do you remember the day when I came to your room, and when I looked at myself in the mirror?" How can Marius forget? A girl like Éponine wasn't someone you'd forget easily. She was wise beyond her years, she can make any person suffer but decides not to, she's fearless, her life was cold and dark and yet she was unafraid._

_"Of course," Marius said with a sad smile. "You bragged about how you can write and how you can read and how you can sing."_

_Éponine chuckled a little bit then closed her eyes as if falling asleep. Marius shaked her fragile body trying to make her open her eyes._

_"You will live, 'Ponine, trust me. I wont let you die here." Éponine slowly opened her eyes and a tear escaped her right eye. "Not tonight, not tonight" Water started to fill his eyes and they started falling on Éponine's shoulder, he looked up and cried for help one more time. When he looked down on Eponine's face, he could see a sweet smile forming on her lips_

_"And then, do you know, Monsieur, I believe I was a little in love with you." And with that Éponine closed her eyes and drifted off._

* * *

"Yeah," Marius said calmly. "of course I do."

Éponine started to chuckle slightly, that small chuckle turned into a huge laughter which turned into a quiet sobbing which turned into a full on crying. Éponine fell into her her knees and started punching the wet ground, water started to splash around Éponine, Marius stood in silence, he watched as the girl who tried to impress him when they first met, who became his closest friend, the girl who hid her feelings from anyone because she thought they didn't matter, the girl who took a bullet for him, the girl that despite everything she's been through is still here. He watched as the girl made of ice started to melt, Éponine stopped, her hands hanged on her side and her head down, she was sobbing. Marius took his jacket off and put it around Éponine and helped her stand up, she looked at him deeply and mouthed a sly 'thank you'

"I need a place to sleep" She said silently.

* * *

Ugh. so I will update as soon as I can and I swear I will put on some fluff and start on the main storyline already. I swear. i promise. anyway, i dont even know what im doing anymore... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh..;/ anyway, thank you guys for reading and i hope you'll read the next chapter and the one after that and the one after that and so on, you guys are the awesomest! Adios!


	6. Les Amis de l

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

**Les Amis de l'ABC**

The back room of the Cafe Musain had a long, dark, wooden table in the middle which was vandalized with different names and quotes, short poems and lazy sketches. The table was surrounded by short stools which obviously has been sat on many times, bottles of wine and beer was scattered around the room but nevertheless the place was clean. The room was lit by the yellow hanging lights from the ceiling and was as bright as the lights from outside the room, the room also had a jukebox on the corner, the music coming out from it would only be heard by the people who were inside the room. The back room and the main cafe/restaurant was separated by the bar, the only way in and out was a double door. The back room was also the space that separated the washroom and the main cafe/restaurant. It was a room that was reserved for private parties or big groups or small gatherings but for the past five years, the back room of the Musain has become the meeting place and the home of a group of friends, named themselves 'les amis de l'abc' (but would usually just be called Amis), who attracted very many things; danger, the police, girls, boys, riots. The owner, Mrs. Louison didn't really mind the Amis despite their close encounters with the police and their endless riots and rallies all through out their university years because they were mainly the reason why her business was booming, the leader of the Amis would usually give his speeches in her cafe and the Amis attracted many listeners and the Musain became a place where a revolution started and ended, it grew more popular and popular everytime the Amis had a rally or the leader had a speech he wanted to tell. The back room was a place the Amis would usually hang out at so just left them be and so did the other patrons of the Musain. They came there to do various different things other than plan to overthrow the government, after all they were just school boys.

* * *

"Éponine thought that after graduation she'd go and live with Montparnasse but, well..." Marius paused a bit, had a sip of his beer and finally found himself talking about it again. "She's been sleeping on our couch for the past two days and she's been really bugged about it. I told her it was fine but she kept on insisting so," Marius scratched his head and brushed his hair. "this morning she said that I've already done enough and she said she's just look for a place to stay, I think she's now in a small hotel not far from here." Marius finished his story and took a long sip of his beer, he looked up at his friends and sighed.

"Oh well, how is she?" Joly, a medical intern, furrowed his eyebrows and he looked very concerned. He and Éponine might not have been the bestest friends but he supposed they were good friends, he cared for the girl and so did every single one of the Amis.

"This morning, she looked fine, a bit weary but fine. I really wish I could've done more to help."

"She probably just needs some time for herself, I mean, the girl did just underwent a bad break-up." Jean Prouvaire made a very good point, like he always does, especially when talking about stuff like this.

The night went on and passed by like all the usual nights, they drank and talked about different things. Iwan Bahorel almost had a fight with another customer, Stuart Bossuet tripped on some bottles, Hugh Joly was there to tend the wounds, Jean Prouvaire (which was called Jehan) recited a very lovely poem and made some comments about modern literature, Gabriel Feuilly left early so he can rise early to go to work, Francis Courfeyrac flirted and George Grantaire was his wingman, Marius talked about Cosette and fretted over Éponine, Killian Combeferre was quiet but chuckled at times and Aaron Enjolras, the leader, talked about equality and work for a bit but remained quiet, as if thinking, for the rest of the night.

The night grew darker and sleepy, most of the customers in the Musain had left and silence started to sink in, the waiters and bartenders have started cleaning up; putting chairs up, washing dirty dishes, cleaning the tables, stocking up for the next day. Most of the Amis have gone and the ones left sucked in the soft sound coming from the jukebox, Grantaire, Marius, Bahorel and Combeferre were the only ones left.

"So, mon ami" Grantaire said to Marius, he was half drunk but was still sober enough to have a decent conversation with. "How's the new apartment treating you and dear Cosette?"

5 months before Cosette graduated from the university, Marius switched apartments with Grantaire so he and Cosette can move in together. Grantaire moved in with Courfeyrac and had lived with him since.

"Great," Marius said cheerfully. "She loves it and I think she really feels at home."

"Where is she, anyway?" Bahorel asked while carving some random song lyric on the dark table with a fork.

"Oh, she's with her father. They're spending the week together, some daughter-and-father bonding before she starts her new job and you know, starts living independently." Marius smiled brightly at Bahorel and the rest of his friends as he talked about Cosette.

They sat again in silence and laughed about a couple of things until Bahorel thought it was time for him to go and left the three men in the back room of the Musain.

Grantaire looked intently at the two men sitting opposite him, he sipped his beer a couple of times until he came into a 'eureka' moment and stood up from his stool. "I think I've solved Éponine's 'homeless' problem!" He said wide-eyed

"Grantaire, sit down" Combeferre looked at him and sighed, he focused his gaze on him as Grantaire tugged on Marius's shirt like an excited school girl.

"Well, you know how Combeferre and Enjolras's apartment has an extra room? A guest room?"

"Wait, what? Where is this going?" Combeferre looked at both of them in confusion. Marius nodded and Grantaire motioned his hand as if trying to make Marius get his point.

"OH!" Marius said, his eyes wide open. The both of them looked at Combeferre but his confusion just got deeper and deeper. Understanding these two men was harder than understanding the Schrödinger's theoretical paradoxical cat. They looked at him waiting for an answer, Combeferre took his glasses off and cleaned the lenses, when he looked up the two men were still looking at him and waiting for an answer.

"Well? Great idea, right? What do you think?" Marius chirped excitedly.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Combeferre said, finally giving up.

Grantaire told him his grand idea and he thought about the suggestion until finally coming to a conclusion.

"No."

"Oh come on, Comb, I mean, she's our friend plus you don't even have guests over, it's a waste of a perfectly good room. And you're kind of paying for the extra, useless room. It's kind of impractical." Marius ended his small rant with a swing of his beer, he looked at Combeferre with a convincing look and smiled at Grantaire. Combeferre debated the said suggestion in his mind and finally came up with a rebuttal.

"Okay, maybe I'm up for it but what about Enjolras. I mean, you know him, he doesn't really, you know, do well with this sort of stuff. And Enjolras, Éponine and I aren't really, you know, 'close'."

"What sort of stuff? Helping friends out? Come on, I'm sure you can convince him and it'll be great getting to know Éponine a bit better." Grantaire's words found themselves out of his mouth and into Combeferre's ears. The drunkard was right and so was Marius.

"Okay, fine but I won't push Enjolras. If he says no then we won't do it but I will help Éponine on finding a new apartment."

* * *

"No." Enjolras raised his eyebrow and fixed his tie as he got ready for work. He faced his roommate, who was eating cereal in the kitchen table, "No." He repeated

"Come on, man, let's just help her, I'm sure it's going to be fun plus it's helping a friend out.

"Well, what does she think of it?"

"Um," Combeferre looked up, trying to remember something, "I don't think she knows"

"Well, how do you know she's up for it?"

"I don't, she's really independent, before leaving the Musain, Marius told me to make it look like she found the apartment herself. Make her ask us if she could move in, I think she hates it when people help her. Remember when we were in the university and she was practically broke but she didn't ask for our help even if we'd lend her money right then." Combeferre remembered Éponine's struggle with money all through out her university years, good thing she was on a scholarship and worked in a small bookstore just right next to the university.

"Okay," Enjolras seemed to be convinced. "I'll think about it."

**Yay! another chapter done, I am going somewhere right, right? Thank you all so much for reading! I am so happy, reviews? anyway, thank you so much for reading this fanfic you lot have made me suppper dupper happpppeeey! **

**さようなら**

**Sayōnara**

**-georgette-**


	7. Moving In

_**A/n: who's obsessed with The Book of Mormon musical score? this gal! anyway, i hope you guys will like this chapter. there is some progress going on in here, folks, and i sure hope youll like it. THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FIC SO MUCH, YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. AND MY DARLING SISTERS, YOU GUYS ARE LIKE THE BEST SUPPORT TEAM EVAH! MY READERS, I LOVE YOU GUYS 5EVA and if ever you want to talk just message me here or on tumblr ( .com) Thank you again :)**_

_**Disclaimer: hahaha, nope. no, i don't own les mis or its characters.**_

* * *

**Moving In**

Musichetta sighed as she folded a yellow sundress and tucked it into her red suitcase, she zipped it up and scanned the clean room around her. Just an hour ago the same room was so messy and disorganized; clothes scattered all over the bed and hangers on the floor, the place was a complete mess but now, as she scanned the room she sighed with relief and contentment. She down on the bed and noticed a pair of green denim shorts, she groaned heavily and unzipped the suitcase again and shoved the green shorts inside, she zipped it up one more time and clasped her hands together. A handsome, smiling young man waltzed into the room and leaned over the door frame, he smiled at Musichetta and walked over to her and planted a  
small kiss on her lips.

"So," He smiled at her. "You done?"

"That's the last of it, well, except for the lotions, medicines, creams..." He cut her off with another kiss.

"I'll take care of that." He smiled, he kissed her again but this time with more passion, he pulled her hips into his and she giggled as he kissed her neck. Musichetta pulled his lips back to hers and they start to really get into it.

"AHEM!"

Musichetta pulled away gently from the kiss and looked at the man sitting in a bean bag behind the door.

"Bossuet!" She shouted annoyingly. "Since when have you been here?" She threw a small pillow at his direction.

"Since you asked me to help you with packing."

"What? That was, like, an hour ago. And you didn't even help me."

"Yeah."

"So, what have you been doing?"

"Watching you pack."

"You're creepy."

"I get that a lot." The man called Bossuet laughed, the man beside Musichetta just blushed and smiled.

"Musichetta, I'm going to go pack the lotions and creams." The man walked out of the room and Musichetta glared at Bossuet, waiting for him to do something.

"Yeah, Imma just..." He pointed at the door "bounce" and walked out. She heard him call out 'bye' before the apartment door opened and closed.

Musichetta looked at herself in the mirror and reapplied her lipstick, she waltzed out of the room gracefully and called out

"Joly! I'm going to meet Éponine for lunch, k?"

"Wait!" Joly walked out with a bottle of lotion in his hand. "Do you think she's okay now?"

"Of course not, sweetie, but she's been in that motel room for three days now. She's not okay but I've missed her and a bit of fun with her friends might cheer her up, right?" Joly just smiled and nodded. "Oh, that reminds me I'm going to call Jehan to join us."

She reached over to the phone and Joly went back to the bathroom to pack the creams and lotions. After a few polite and friendly words here and  
there. Musichetta laid down the phone and headed for the door.

"Bye, love you." She called out.

"Right! Bye. Love you!" The man in the bathroom shouted.

* * *

Éponine rested her head on the pillow, she looked up at the white ceiling and sighed, it had been three days after she left Marius and Cosette's apartment and five since she broke up with Montparnasse, she tried not to think about him and not become a sulking, vulnerable little girl but she can't help it. She  
felt like she has no energy all the time and her eyelids were always heavy, she hasn't even gone out of the hotel to eat, she's only been ordering take out and ordering from room service. She blinked slowly until finally closing her eyes.

***knock* *knock* *knock***

"Éponine!"

***knock* *knock***

"I know you're in there! Come on, man, open up!"

She woke up from her small nap and got out of bed, she fixed her hair and straightened her shirt, she groaned miserably, she forgot she was supposed to  
go out to lunch today with Musichetta. She walked over to the door and a smiling Musichetta hugged her excitedly.

"Aww, sweetie. I've missed you, how are you?" Musichetta smiled and let go of her suffocating hug and faced Éponine who gave her friendly smile.

"I am still alive and okay." Musichetta held her hand and dragged her out of the room.

"Well, let's go then."

"Okay." Éponine rushed in to get her car keys but Musichetta just grabbed her by the arm.

"We're taking a cab" She said

* * *

"Where are we going?" Éponine asked as she got out of the cab.

"Oh a nifty, little restaurant that just opened up. Grantaire told me all about it," Musicetta scanned the bustling place, she dragged her from the small sidewalk they were in and into a small alleyway. "Apparently, they serve amazing pies." Éponine looked around and noticed a small, restaurant that looks like a small house. It had small board on the roof that said "The Pieminister", she giggled slightly at the smart name of the restaurant and they went in.

They sat in the middle in a small round table, the people around them were chatting, others were silent, the people around her were enjoying the sunny, beautiful Sunday. It was a small restaurant, wasn't very busy too, their order came relatively fast. The waitress brought in a deliciously smelling apple pie and a banana blueberry pie. Éponine took a small bite at her apple pie and smiled, it tasted amazing.

"Great, right?" Musichetta said as she shoved a piece into her mouth, she looked at Éponine who just nodded and ate her pie slowly savouring the pastry in her mouth.

"Well, how are you?" Musichetta asked

"I'm okay, Muse, I just had a small, rough patch." Éponine said. Musichetta just took another bite of her pie and furrowed her eyebrow.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?"

"No, Musichetta, I don't want to talk about it, I just want to forget it." Éponine smiled sadly. "Well, what about you? How are you? I haven't seen you since your ballet performance, which was absolutely incredible, by the way."

Musichetta was a ballerina for the Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris and she made her debut performance as a lead in their production of the Swan Lake. Every single one of the Amis was there to cheer her on; Éponine and the rest of the Amis first met Musichetta when Joly brought her into the Musain, they had  
been on their second date and he though that it would be nice for her to meet his friends, she and Éponine kind of just clicked, Musichetta was a lovely young woman. Musichetta was a lovely young woman and everyone adored her the moment they met her.

"Aww, thanks, I am actually going on a vacation."

"Oh, where?"

"Well, I'm going to Monte Carlo!" Musichetta smiled widely at her, "I'm going to meet Joly's whole family there and I'm going to spend the rest of summer there. Oh gosh, I'm so excited."

"So, when are you going?" Éponine smiled at her friend, she remembered Musichetta have always dreamed of going to Monte Carlo ever since she can  
remember. Éponine was excited for her friend.

"Tomorrow." Éponine's eyes widened,

"Tomorrow?" Musichetta just nodded, "What time?"

"Oh, around 7 in the evening. I am so excited."

"But you're leaving tomorrow. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because you were still heartbroken and crying and I thought you'd rather be alone."

"I'd actually really rather be with my friend." Éponine smiled and put her hands on top of Musichetta's. "You better take some good photos, yeah?"

Musichetta smiled and started talking about Monte Carlo and what they were going to do there, Éponine listened intently at her friend, at least for the afternoon she didn't have to try to not think of Montparnasse. A young man bursted into the small restaurant and faced Éponine, he had a handsome  
smile on his face and he walked directly to their direction, Musichetta stopped her story to face and hug the young man.

"Jehan!" Éponine exclaimed as he hugged the young man beside her.

"Ép, we missed you!" Jehan pulled her closer and kissed her cheek which made both him and Éponine blushed slightly. He sat down at the empty chair  
and ordered a strawberry pie.

"Well, the only one missing right now is Cosette." Jehan smiled at both of them. The four of them, includin Cosette, were the youngest of the Amis, the four of them were also the closest. Cosette, Jehan and Éponine were all at the same year, at the same university. "I'm sorry I'm late, I was just at Courfeyrac's"

"What were you doing there?" Musichetta smiled mischievously and gave Jehan a wink.

"Oh you know, he has a date tonight. He just wanted to know wht flowers to bring." Jehan tried to hide the forming blush on his face and changed the  
subject. "So, Ép, I'm pretty sure you don't want to talk about it but I'm just have to ask, how are you?"

"I am fine" Éponine sighed and took a bite of her pie, the same waitress waltz in and gave Jehan his pie and he ate it happily.

"Well, you've been living in a cramp hotel for the past few days, have you found any place to stay?" Jehan asked as he took another bite of his pie.

"No, actually."

"Well, you can always crash at our place. Or, you can wait till tomorrow and you can live there till you found an apartment." Musichetta suggested

"No, it's fine, Musichetta, I am going to find a place on my own." Éponine insisted. They talked about different things; from Musichetta's upcoming vacation to cheap apartments near the Musain.

"Why did you leave Marius and Cosette's apartment, anyways?" Jehan asked. "And why didn't you go to Marius's grandfather for help, the old guy would totally help you out."

"Well, I didn't want to overstay my welcome plus they've already done enough and I didn't want to get in the way of them having fun." Éponine said.  
"And I couldn't ask for Monsieur Gillenormad for help, that old man has gotten me through university and paid for my hospital bills after the incident." She  
paused for a moment. "He even gave me one of those mobile phones."

"I heard Joly said the other day that Combeferre and Enjolras were looking for a new roommate, you should go ask them?" Musichetta suggested.  
Éponine's ears perked up, this was good, at least if she decided to take the room, she wouldn't be living with complete strangers.

"Yeah, I think they have an extra room that they want to rent out." Jehan added. "You should go talk to them this afternoon, I can drive you."

Combeferre opened the door and gestured them to come in, he then hugged Éponine awkwardly and smiled at her.

"Hi!" he said

"Hi, Combeferre." She smiled back and scanned across the room. There she saw a blonde, handsome man sitting near the window and reading a book.  
"Hi, Enjolras."

He half-smiled and waved at them and went back to his book.

"I thought you guys were with Musichetta?" Combeferre asked and sat down the couch.

"Joly called her, something about sunscreens and medicines and bikinis." Jehan shrugged and went to the kitchen to get some beer.

"Éponine, what's up?" Combeferre asked, Éponine sat down opposite him.

"Fine. I'm actually here to talk about the apartment." Éponine said. "Jehan told me you were looking for a new roommate, so I was just wondering if, you know..." She felt awkward, it's probably because of how Combeferre looked at him and how Enjolras just took a seat right next to Combeferre, it just felt  
awkward asking them if she could move in. "I could check it out." Her words hanged in the air, they didn't respond for a second until Combeferre spoke up.

"Yeah, that's cool." Combeferre smiled, Jehan sat next to the boys and gave Éponine a bottle of beer. She opened it and took a sip.

"Thanks." She put the bottle down the table but Enjolras stopped her and pushed a coaster to her direction. Éponine laid down the bottle on top of the coaster. An awkward air filled the room, they looked sideways, trying not to make eye contact and waiting for somebody to speak up. The apartment door swung open and Courfeyrac barged in and looked at the 4 people sitting in an uncomfortable silence.

"Well, hey guys!" He said with a winning smile, he looked at Éponine and hugged her. "I haven't seen you in a while. What's up?"

"I'm here to check out the apartment." She said as the friendly Courfeyrac let go of her.

"So, are you moving in? I mean, that would be so cool and you'd add a little fun to this 'boring' apartment." Combeferre rolled his eyes and Courfeyrac just laughed and so did Jehan. Éponine looked around the apartment, she's been here a couple of times and the apartment doesn't seem to change, maybe a couple of books had been added to their collection but other than that, nothing much has changed since she last visited the apartment. There was a TV which was hardly used, they had three bookshelves in the living room; all filled with different kinds of books and one bookshelf looked so full that the wood might just break any second. The couch was brown and the two chairs were also brown, the lamps were gorgeous and when lit gives out an amazing white colour. The apartment was great and it looked amazing, it suit Combeferre and Enjolras well.

"Yeah, she's moving in." Enjolras said firmly.

"But I haven't even seen the room yet."

"You can check it out if you want but you're moving in."

"How do you know if I want to move in here?" Sometimes there were thing about Enjolras that really pisses her off, this was one of those times; he acts like a know-it-all, he acts like he knows better than her, he acts like he knows best.

"Well, have you seen any other apartment aside from this?"

"No, but-"

"Would you rather live with a stranger than with your friends?"

"Hey, I have other friends apart from the Amis!" She raised her eyebrow at him and he just smirked at her. "Okay, maybe I don't. But still, you don't know if I want to move in here, maybe I want to move in with Bahorel or Feuilly or Jehan."

"Feuilly lives in a one room apartment, so does Jehan and Bahorel lives in a smelly, loud apartment with his gym buddies. I don't think you're moving in with any of them." Enjolras stood up from his seat and pointed to the room beside the kitchen. "Now, if you want to check out the room, it's behind that door."

"When did you guys decided to rent the room anyways? And why do you keep insisting that I take it?" Éponine looked back and forth at Combeferre and Enjolras who just looked at her. She sighed and opened her mouth "It's Marius isn't it? He asked you guys to rent out the room for me? Hey, it's okay." She smiled. "If you don't want to rent out the room, it's fine. I don't need your pity or help." She took drank her beer and stood up and put it at the counter top.

"But we do wanna help" Combeferre said, "We're your friends, Éponine, let us help you, no one really uses that room, anyway. Plus, we really need the money, with newspaper boy's salary and mine, I don't think we can afford this place."

Enjolras was a newspaper journalist and so was Combeferre, they weren't exactly badly paid but ever since they've decided to live on their own without their families supporting them, they have had to cut off some of their expenses and they've finally realized how expensive the apartment was without a third person living in it.

"So, Ép, what do you think?" Courfeyrac smiled at the girl and winked at her. "Come on, just take it."

Éponine thought about it, the apartment was great and she really did need a place to live. She walked over to the room and opened the door, it was already furnished with a small wardrobe, a table, a lamp and a single bed. "Where did you guys get all these stuff?"

"It was supposed to be a guest room, but we didn't really have any guests who stays the night except for Grantaire but now that he lives next door, that wouldn't be a problem anymore." Combeferre stood next to her and turned on the lights. The room was welcoming and was big enough for her, the paint was cream and everyting was neutral and comfortable, she sat on the bed and thought and looked around the room. She then looked up at Combeferre.

"Okay," She paused for a moment. "I'll take it." Éponine smiled at Combeferre who gave it back, he then shouted at the boys and they all rushed in, except for Enjolras, to hug her. Enjolras just stood there and listened to Courfeyrac talk about what they're going to do after she'd officially moved in.

"I'm going to call the landlord and tell him." Enjolras walked out of the room and Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Jehan and Éponine all laid down at the bed.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Jehan exclaimed.

* * *

Éponine moved into the apartment two days later, she signed her lease the same day and was shocked because of how fast it was, turns out the owner of the apartment building was a friend of Monsieur Gillenormad and Marius has told him about her moving into the apartment. Éponine thanked the old man once again and again he told her the if-it-wasnt-for-you-my-beloved-grandson-would-be-d ead speech. She sighed as she rested her suitcase on top of the bed, all of the Amis were there except for Joly and Musichetta, and Cosette just got back from her trip with her father. Grantaire walked in with a bottle of beer and handed it to Éponine, he noticed the lone suitcase and asked.

"That all you got?"

"Yup." She said

"Where the hell are the rest of your stuff?"

"At my ex-boyfriend's. I thought I was gonna stay there so I left most of my stuff there, even my instruments. But, you know, change of plans." She looked back at him and giggled slightly.

"We're gonna get your stuff back, you hear?" Grantaire smiled at her and clinked his beer bottle with hers. "But for now, it's time to crank up the music and piss Enjolras off." He put his arm around her and the both of them walked out of the room.

* * *

**Well. That was the chapter, thoughts? please tell me them. Thank you so much for reading this one and please stick around for some more... P.S: THE APARTMENT IS KIND OF LIKE THE APARTMENT FROM NEW GIRL EXCEPT WITH MORE BOOKS AND IS MORE 90'S. THERE IS A REASON WHY THIS IS SET IN 1998! THANK YOU FOR READING**

다음 시간까지

da-eum sigankkaji

-georgette-


	8. The Red Dress

**_A/n: guys i am super sorry for the long update, like my week was hectic as fuuuck. the time tables were changed and i was super tired, like my week was looooong, way longer than this chapter. and i just didnt really have enough energy left, ya know? and also there are like so many better writers and i just... why god why?! anyway. i hope you enjoy!_**

_**Disclaimer: OWNED (just kidding)**_

* * *

It's been a week since Éponine moved into the apartment and all she's done is sulk in her room, listen to the same song on repeat, she hasn't taken a shower or brushed her hair, she was still wearing the same pyjamas she wore the first night she moved in and when she did get out of her room, it was to watch some silly American sitcom or get more ice cream.

It wasn't even her ice cream, it was Combeferre's and Combeferre loved his ice cream. After a week of all these insanity, he finally decided to call  
Cosette because he thought this was something girls do after a bad break-up.

"Hello?" Marius answered

"Hey, man, is Cosette there?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Well, can I talk to her?" Combeferre sighed

"Yeah."

Combeffere can hear Marius screaming for Cosette on the other line and then a small, female voice spoke up but he can barelyhear the words she's saying.

"She's in the shower, why? What's up?" Marius asked with curiosity sounding in his voice.

"Well," Combeffere started. "Eponine has been in her room for a week now, she's eaten nothing but MY ice cream..." he emphasized the 'my' part. "And it's starting to get annoying."

"Well, did you try talking to her?"

"OH! What a fucking great idea Marius. wow, why the hell didn't I think of that?" Combeferre was now very much annoyed with Marius's dense mind. "How fucking stupid of me."

"Kind of stupid of you. I'm sure if you..."

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Combeffere interrupted. "I WAS ON THE DEAN'S LIST EVERY SEMESTER! OF COURSE I THOUGHT OF TALKING TO HER. AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE DID?! HUH?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHE DID?! I'LL TELL YA WHAT, SHE FUCKING SLAMMED THE DOOR ON ME! I'M SO ANNOYED NOW, MARIUS! I HAVEN'T HAD ICE CREAM FOR 5 DAYS NOW AND I AM PISSED OFF!" Combeferre breathed in and looked at Enjolras who was looking back at him, Enjolras took a sip of coffee and went back to reading the paper.

"Oh wow, man, calm down."

"Sorry, I just really really want ice cream." He sniffed a little

"Jesus Christ, okay I'll tell Cosette to buy you some on the way there."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Combeferre was eternally grateful. "I was just so busy lately and Eponine's ate my bucket of ice cream. I'm sorry, I yelled and cursed at you. I don't usually do that."

"I know you dont, so I'll see you later. Alright?"

"Yeah and don't forget my ice cream."

Combeferre hanged up and took a sit opposite Enjolras and ate his sandwich.

"So, what are you doing today?" Combeferre asked

Enjolras looked up from his paper and sighed "Well, I have to go to work."

"But it's Sunday"

"Yeah well, stuff happens on Sundays."

"Like what?"

"Like work, shut up and eat your sandwich" Enjolras rolled his eyes and drank his coffee until his cup was empty. He stood and put his cup on the sink.

"Well, that was a pathetic lie. You really dont want to be here, do you?" Combeferre put down his sandwich and chuckled slightly

"No, actually." Enjolras faced Combeferre who was now smiling. "Because I dont want to see a sad, 'heartbroken' girl walking around the apartment with nothing but her pyjamas from last week and watching some stupid sitcom and listening to the same song over and over again."

Combeferre raised his eyebrow. "Well, are you actually going to work?"

"Yeah, of course." Enjolras tapped Combeferre's back lightly "Plus, I have to write an article, I can't have a sad, 'breakup band' filling my ears while I try and expose the government for its true colors."

Éponine's door swung open and she faced the two men jerked up and faced her.

"What?" She said with a groggy, deep, 'just woke up' voice. She moved closer to the sink and placed an empty bottle of Jack Daniels in the counter and looked up at the two men who were still staring at her. "What?" Now, she looked at Enjolras as she raised her eyebrows.

"Well, I see the litle snail has finally come out of her shell. How are you, darling?" Combeferre looked at Éponine from head to toe before finally casting his eyes to her dirty hair. "You know, a good shower will really do you good."

Éponine sarcastically smirked at Combeferre before opening the fridge, the cool air slowly touched Éponine's face and she smiled at he cool feeling. She looked up and down the insides of the fridge before discontentment filled her face. "We're out of ice cream." She said as she closed he fridge door

"Oh wow, didn't notice." Combefferre looked at her and bit a mouthful piece of his sandwich. Enjolras was quiet throughout the exchange, he grabbed the empty bottle from the counter top and looked at Combeferre. "Where did you get this?" Enjolras moved his neck and looked at Éponine who was leaning against the fridge.

"Grantaire sneeked in here last night with a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels and I guess he was so fucking drunk he forgot his booze." Éponine slowly walked across the room and took the chair opposite Combeferre. "Knowing you two, I just grabbed it before perfectly good liquor gets thrown down the drain." Éponine stood up from her seat and started walking towards the front door.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"We're out of ice cream and you guys don't keep alcohol. Where the fuck do you think I'm going?" She said as-a-matter-of-factly, she slammed the door close and Combeferre looked at Enjolras who looked back at him in disbelief.

"It's 7 am, goddamnit!" Combeferre slammed his hand on the table just as Éponine was leaving. He sighed in disbelief and looked at Enjolras who was tying his necktie. "She's wearing pyjamas."

"Well," Enjolras cried out as he grabbed his blazer, "have a good day!" and walked out the door.

* * *

Combeferre was totally engrossed in his book, turning the pages aggressively, reading and swallowing the words, he was curled on the end of the sofa and his eyes glued on the book, he breathed out anticipation, as if he, himself, was a character in the book. Three hours passed but for him, it only felt like seconds, he rolled casually in the sofa, looking for a new comfortable position as he finally exhausted his last one, he groaned, laughed like a little child, he grinned, he sniffed, his eyes never leaving the pages of the book. He was too engrossed in his book to notice the soft sound coming from Éponine's room, The Smiths playing softly while he found himself inside another world, he had left the world he was in and entered a world very different from his own.

The front door slammed open and five figures went in, laughing and teasing each other, Combeferre groaned and put down his book on the coffee table, he stood up and stretched; silent creaking noise escaped his back. "Hey guys" He said with a huge smile.

"Where's Éponine?" Cosette asked as she put down her handbag on the sofa, Courfeyrac and Bahorel sat down on the sofa and turned the TV on while Cosette, Jehan and Marius stayed standing up waiting for Combeferre to answer.

"Where's my ice cream?" Combeferre said as he looked at Cosette with a raised eyebrow. She groaned and muttered "oh my gosh" under her breath and gave Combeferre a pint of Ben and Jerry's. "Her room." Combeferre said happily.

Cosette rushed to Éponine's room's direction and the five men followed her.

She knocked and gently said, "it's Cosette", the door swung open and a girl with wild, fizzy hair welcomed them in. The room smelled weird, a mixture of liquor, ice cream and girl-who-havent-showered filled the room, three ice cream buckets were on the floor joined by five different bottles of liquor. Éponine sat down on her bed and the six friends joined her, she groaned 'ugh' several times, it seems like that was the only thing she's done in her room. She noticed Combeferre's right hand and snatched the pint of ice cream from him, he looked at her in disbelief but she just scoffed and smirked at him while she grabbed the spoon from under her pillow. Bahorel and the rest just laughed at Combeferre's shocked expression, Marius tapped his shoulder reassuringly and told him that they'll get another one soon. Éponine was about to swallow the spoonful of ice cream when Cosette grabbed her hand and tapped her, the blonde girl took the ice cream away from Éponine and gave it to Combeferre who immediately ran out of the room to protect his ice cream.

"Sweetie, we need to talk." Cosette looked at her with her big, brown eyes, never letting go of Éponine's hand. "We're worried." She said.

"There's really nothing to be worried about, this is probably just a phase." Éponine tried to convince her friend but Cosette always knows when she's lying.

"You have to move on." Bahorel perked up from behind Éponine, he tried to rest his head on the table but was surprised when there was a half-empty bottle of cheap wine behind the pillow, he picked it up and opened the cork, smelled it then took a sip.

"I am moving on." Éponine said defensively. "This is me moving on." She gestured around the room and herself, almost hitting her friends.

"Oh wow, this is your idea of moving on?" Courfeyrac stood up and looked around the room. "It's a shit idea." He then raised his hands and murmured "Just sayin', just sayin'"

Éponine glared at him and the rest just laughed.

"'Ponine, why don't you go out with us tonight?" Marius said from behind Cosette. "You know, meet some guys, have fun with your friends, meet some guys, you know, drinks, meet some guys."

"You said 'meet some guys' three times, what are you implying?"

Cosette crunched her nose and bit her lower lip. "Sweetie, I think you've moved on, like, emotionally but not physically, if you know what I mean."

Éponine just raised her eyebrow and looked at her friends, Courfeyrac was still standing near the window trying so hard not to burst out laughing. She looked at them in confusion. "No, I don't know what you mean." She looked back at Cosette.

Then Courfeyrac just bursted out laughing, he laughed so hard that he fell down on his knees, Bahorel also started laughing and Combeferre walked in with a spoon on his mouth. The two men tried to contain themselves and breathed in deeply, chuckles escaping their mouths.

"In simpler terms," Jehan glared at Courfeyrac and looked back at Éponine. "you're sexually frustrated." He waited for Éponine to say something but she just looked at him in disbelief. Courfeyrac and Bahorel started laughing again but Combeferre just shushed them telling them to be more mature, Éponine didn't show signs of embarrassment, just annoyance.

"Look it's totally normal," Jehan sat down next to Éponine, pushing Bahorel's legs. "there's nothing to be embarrased about. These assholes are just being immature."

"I'm not embarassed," Éponine looked at her group of friends, Bahorel and Courfeyrac stopped laughing and looked at Éponine. "I just don't think I'm ready."

"Of course, you are!" Cosette smiled at her. "You're totally ready, plus it's gonna be super FUN!" She finished her sentence in a singing tone.

"Okay, but I don't think I'm going to wanna have a one-night stand with a complete stranger." Éponine sighed.

"Okay, what about not a complete stranger" Courfeyrac winked playfully at Éponine. "I swear to god, after CourfeyROCKS your body, you're gonna get dementia at the age of 22." He licked his lips and winked at her again.

"You keep saying shit like that and you're gonna get yourself punched." Éponine laughed and played along.

"Or, or" Bahorel said with excitement. "you can do it with Cosette, we can watch and rate while you move on."

Cosette blushed deeply, hiding the crimson color showing on her cheeks, Éponine just laughed and punched Bahorel with enough force to make him stop laughing. They continued laughing and talking, for the first time in almost 3 weeks, Éponine was laughing and smiling genuinely. They all ate lunch at the apartment and enjoyed Courfeyrac's delicious cooking, they all helped Éponine clean her room and they talked about the stupidest things.

* * *

"So, what are you wearing tonight?" Cosette asked as she closed Éponine's door.

"I don't know," Éponine opened her wardrobe. "I've only got T-shirts and jeans, my leather jacket and a pair of Chucks. Oooh, I also have a pair of tights" She said as she grabbed her tights and showed them to Cosette proudly

"Well, gimme a sec." Cosette shouted Marius's name and he came running to her side. "Babe," She looked at him, lovingly. "can you go back to the apartment and get the red dress hanging next to the..." As Cosette instructed Marius about the red and the black heels, Éponine couldn't help but feel a little self conscious, she was wearing the same pyjamas from the past week and she hasn't even taken a shower yet, she pushed her dark, greasy hair back and put it into a bun. 'They must think I look like a fucking hobo.' She thought. Éponine looked at the couple in front of her and can't help but smile she forgot her self-conscious thoughts and just stared at the two of them, these were her two best friends and she couldn't believe that she used to resent the idea of these two being a couple, they were perfect for each other. Marius loud steps broke her from her reverie and she just looked at Cosette giving her a towel.

"You should go and take a shower, Ép." Cosette said while handing her a towel. "I have a red dress and a pair of black heels at home, Marius is gonna bring 'em over," She said with a smile. "time for a make-over!" She continued again with a high-pitched singing voice. Éponine grabbed the towel and walked directly to the bathroom, ignoring the men in the living room, clapping and wooing and high-fiving. "WE DID IT!" Courfeyrac said as he high fived Jehan.

"There." Cosette said as she zipped the red dress, she made Éponine turn around and she then clapped her hands. Cosette almost looked teary-eyed as she hugged Éponine, "Oh my sweetie, you look great." Cosette let go of her and smiled at Éponine, Éponine couldn't help but giggle at Cosette's expression and said thank you. Cosette couldn't keep her eyes away from her, she almost hit the drawer when she was reaching for the door but when she finally grabbed a hold of the door handle, she seemed to get electrocuted and looked at Éponine wide-eyed.

"Oh, how can I forget?" She said as she opened the wardrobe that she almost hit. "Oh my gosh, we forgot accessories." She fretted and looked around Éponine's wardrobe. "Ah, perfect!" She said as she grabbed a handful of bracelets and bracelets, choosing carefully with her eyes deep in concentration. She put them around Éponine, who stayed silent, she felt so special, her friends spent a day with her and even helped her get dressed. "Wear this." Cosette handed her her leather jacket. "Ah, now we're ready."

Éponine walked slowly out the door and bit the inside of her blushing cheek, the men have stopped looking at the TV and stood up to look at her, they were all speechless.

"Damn, gurl." Bahorel almost dropped the bottle of water he was holding and looked at Éponine from head to toe. "You look-"

"Dashing." Combeferre cut him off and smiled at Éponine with delight.

"Oh come on, you can do better than that." Cosette perked up from beside Éponine.

"You look enthralling, Ép." Jehan blushed more than Éponine as he gave her the compliment, he flushed his burning cheeks with his hands and looked down. Éponine just gave him a small thank you and her cheeks looked as red as her dress.

"Acceptable, but not good enough. Come on, gentlemen, better!"

"Il ya tellement de belles choses là-bas, couchers de soleil, les arbres d'automne,mais toi, Éponine, " Courfeyrac moved beside her and kissed her right hand. " surpasser toute leur beauté combiné." Éponine smiled at him, she couldn't contain the giggle that escaped her mouth.

"Now that, gentlemen, is how you compliment a lady." Cosette said as she grabbed her handbag from the couch and looked a t ehr wristwatch. "It's 7 guys, time to go!" Cosette grabbed Marius who was still staring at Éponine and hurried out the door, the couple bumped into Enjolras who was just about to open the door.

"Enjolras, we're going to the Musain." Combeferre said as he grabbed his hoodie. "You comin'?"

"Yeah, let me just -"Enjolras looked at Éponine who was still standing in the middle of the living room, Jehan grabbed her hand and pointed at Enjolras. "Hi." He said dumbly.

"Hi." She replied. "You coming?" She said as she walked past him.

Enjolras dropped his briefcase and chuckled slightly, his friends were already racing to the elevator, he walked out and locked the door behind him. Just then, Grantaire and Courfeyrac's apartment door opened, Grantaire walked out and smiled at Enjolras.

"Musain?" He asked, Grantaire had always been one of Enjolras's best friend but they've always been reserved in terms of communication. Enjolras nodded and walked with Grantaire to the elevator along with their friends.

"You look great, my dear." Grantaire kissed Éponine's cheeks and her hand. "Where's Bossuet and Feuilly?" He asked as he stood next to her.

"They're meeting us at the Musain." Courfeyrac said as the elevator door closed.

* * *

"10!" Feuilly counted as another man walked away from Éponine, all the Amis, except for Enjolras and Combeferre who sat at their usual table at the back, sat near the bar to take a good look on Éponine, almost all the men inside the Musain were either looking at her or waiting to hit on her.

"It's been, like, an hour and 10 men already hit on her?" Courfeyrac whistled and shooked his head in disbelief. "That must be a record."

"Oh, douchebag alert." Bahorel elbowed Marius who was sharing a burger with Cosette. They looked at her and focused their eyes on the guy, he was wearing a polo shirt which is a bit too tight for him and the collar was up, in his hand was a bottle of expensive light beer which he held carefully, trying to show the label to everybody and his eyebrows were plucked to perfection. The group of friends could see Éponine groaning impatiently and just giving sarcastic remarks at the guy, she was trying to loose him.

"Right, I'm gonna save her." Bossuet stood up from his seat and walked directly to the bar but as he was about to position himself in the middle of the two, a cold splash hit his face. Éponine had splashed Bossuet with cold water, she looked shocked and the guy hitting on her just walked away.

"Oh my god, Bossuet!" She said, her face still in shock, she grabbed some napkin from the counter and dried Bossuet's face and t-shirt. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," he said as he took the napkin from Éponine's hands, he even chuckled a bit. The Amis bursted out laughing and so did Bossuet. "Just my luck, I guess." They walked to the table where their friends were and Éponine continued to apologize and dab dry napkin on Bossuet's clothes. After a few minutes, a few winks, a few drinks, a few talks and a burger, Éponine decided to go outside and have a smoke with Grantaire. The cold air greeted her tan skin, he reached for his pocket and grabbed the pack, handing Éponine one and lighting his. They filled their lungs with smoke, they joked around for a while and laughed at the little things, they enjoyed each other's company without even knowing. There was something special about Grantaire and Éponine's relationship, it was more than a romantic relationship, more than a friendly one too. They both understood each other in some kind of level and they both appreciated that. After one cigarette, Éponine went back in but Grantaire stayed to smoke another one, the loud voices greeted her ears and bright, yellow lights shined on her tan skin. Éponine sat back down at the bar and waved at her friends who waved back, the bartender smile at her and gave her a glass of water, she was trying to stay off the liquor tonight.

A man, a little older than Éponine, straddled in the bar and sat next to her, she stared at him, waiting to get hit on, but he just looked at her and murmured 'hey'. The man was tall and tan with dark hair and black eyes, he was well-built and was very good-looking. He looked at Éponine again who just kept on staring at him, he smiled at her and she smiled back.

"I'm sorry." She snapped. "I just-" She tucked in her loose hair into the back of her ear and blushed softly. "I'm sorry." She said again looking at the man.

"Don't be. Can I buy you a drink?" The man asked with a smile.

"No, I'm actually staying off the alchol tonight."

"Oh, well, I'm Don." He extended his hand which Éponine gladly shook. His grip was tight and 'manly'. The two spent the night, talking and laughing, she even introduced him to her friends. Soon, one by one the Amis left the Musain and bid their farewells,

"I have work tomorrow." Cried Feuilly, Enjolras and Combeferre

"I have to train tomorrow." Bahorel said as he dashed past the doors.

"Time for bed." Marius said flirtingly at Cosette

"Ugh. I'm drunk." Courfeyrac bid farewell and grabbed his roommate, Grantaire, before he falls asleep in the Musain. Again.

"I should probably go." Bossuet cried as he realized he had rehearsals the next day.

"I have to go write stuff." Jean Prouvaire walked graciously out of the Musain with a smile on his lips, he was in love.

Don and Éponine talked and flirted and laughed and talked again, they just seemed to click. They both were from long-term relationships that ended in an excruciating way and both of them weren't really looking for something serious, maybe just a bit of fun.

"So, do you wanna get out of here?" Éponine raised her eyes at Don and touched his hand playfully. He brushed his black hair and smiled at Éponine.

"Yeah."

* * *

**IMPORTANT POINTERS:**

**So I CHANGED THE NAME, IM SO SORRY IF YOU GUYS FELT A BIT OFFENDED THAT I USED RAMIN'S NAME. I WASN'T EXACTLY TRYING TO MAKE RAMIN KARIMLOO A CHARACTER IN THIS STORY I JUST COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO THINK OF ANOTHER NAME ... but Don defs look like RAMIN, okay? But isnt ramin. Are we good? Thanks, sorry again. **

**ALSO MY FANFIC!PARNASSE IS BEN BARNES (PRINCE CASPIAN), HE'S GONNA MAKE AN APPEARANCE SOON. K ?**

**THE DRESS LOOKS LIKE you can just go visit my page if that doesn't work.**

**AND THE BAR? IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONE IN HIMYM (IF I HAVENT TOLD YOU BEFORE) AND THE AMIS MEETING PLACE IS BASICALLY JUST THE BACKROOM. THE ONE BEHIND THE BAR AND THE DOOR. **

**OH AND TURNS OUT A FRIEND OF MINE, ELEANORWEASLEY (GO CHECK HER OUT) IS READING THIS FIC! OMYGOSH ELEANOR PLEASE STOP, I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE JUDGING ME!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING IT YOU GUYS, LIKE IM SO FUCKNG HAPPY :)**

kwaheri! kuona wewe wakati ujao!

-georgette-


	9. Paris Piano Bar

**R.I.P CORY MONTEITH**

**TALL, AWKWARD, CANADIAN, ACTOR, DRUMMER, PERSON**

**YOU WILL BE MISSED**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES AND ITS CHARACTERS**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE SONG BRIGHTLIGHTS AND CITYSCAPES. IT IS BY SARA BAREILLES**

* * *

His white knuckles came in contact with the door and banged it louder than he meant, anger filled his eyes and annoyance shadowed his face. It was 2:35 AM and he couldn't get any sleep because of the couple behind the closed door.

'_Just open the door.'_

It took him a large amount of effort to not kick the door and shout at Èponine and what's-his-face guy.

"Hey," The door swung open a little and her head peeked out, drops of sweat slid down her temple and her wet hair sticked to her tan skin, he can see her neck and the skin just above her breasts. He didn't look down, he clenched his jaws and found her moving eyes and locked them with his.

"Can you keep it down," She kept on breathing heavily and panting. "Some of us, believe it or not, have jobs."

She poked her cheek with her tongue, "Okay Mr. Enj-ol-ras." And before Enjolras could mutter something she close the door and giggles resumed behind the closed door. He swallowed and knocked hard again. He wasn't going to back down.

"What?" She swung the door open, now a little wider than before.

"Pipe it the FUCK down!" His blue eyes glared at her and she just rolled her brown eyes. "Èponine, it's 2 in the morning, okay? Just fucking keep it down," Enjolras kept himself calm and tried not to look down on Eponine's bare skin.

"Fine," She closed the door and he heard a few giggles and a loud 'sshhh', they quiet down but the moans and giggles were still there.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Combeferre yawned and stretched, he walked into the kitchen where a sleepy Enjolras was seating and staring at the cup of coffee in front of him.

"Terrible," He replied. "You?"

"Worst night of my life."

The duo just went on with their regular morning routine, slower than usual though, two things were in Enjolras' mind, one was his new article about the increase of the cost of living in France and the second one was the sweat that dripped along Éponine's neck. He brushed it off his mind, it was nothing, sex is just a distraction, that's what Enjolras believes in.

_'Just a distraction and it's proving its point by distracting me right now'_

* * *

"What are you doing?" Bossuet blinked at Grantaire and playfully slapped his back. The cool air brushed their skin as it passed, they were at the roof top of Combeferre, Enjolras and Éponine's apartment, she invited all of them for dinner.

"Playing a game." Grantaire's lips found the top of his red plastic cup and drank filling his throat with cold beer. "It's called everytime I'm sad, I take a drink."

"That game exists." Bossuet grinned and moved closer to the railing. "It's called alcoholism." He took Grantaire's cup and drank it up to the last drop. Grantaire just chuckled and patted Bossuet's back. "So, tell me, dear Grantaire, why are you sad?"

"Because life is just a stupid invention of someone who is obviously fucked up." He leaned in the railing and the passing wind brushed his curly hair. The lights from the city and the pretty lights from the rooftop illuminated in his face.

"Dear Grantaire, lemme tell you a story," He cleared his throat and looked at the curly man trying to listen as intently as he can. "just last week I hurt my knee on a treadmill. And it wasn't even on." Grantaire's small chuckle turned into a huge laugh, soon the both of them were laughing at Bossuet's misfortune.

"And?"

"What I'm trying to say is, don't let things bother you. Nothing in life is perfect or the way you expect them to be so best you can do is accept whatever is coming and don't let the little things get you down. Because sometimes they really are just little things."

"What if it's a big thing then?"

"Then you hope that things will turn out okay. And they always do, anyways." Bossuet winked at Grantaire and the man flashed a smile.

"You are way to optimistic for man of your luck, my friend."

They stood there in silence trying to take in the scenery; Paris was beautiful when it is basked with sunlight but it is elegant at night, the lights from the buildings and the cars and the shops, the people walking around and the bright, beautiful Eiffel tower that shimmered in the night. The beautiful city was amazingly breathtaking.

* * *

The door to the rooftop opened and Enjolras and Combeferre walked in, Grantaire's eyes moved slowly to the blonde man and Enjolras saw him and nodded, he nodded back.

"Finally!" Bahorel's voice was loud and clear, they've been waiting for the two of them all night so they can have dinner as a group together. The friends took their seats in the table in the middle which was full of delicious food; there was ham, lemon and honey chicken, a vegetable salad and potatoes. And of course there is also some wine, Éponine provided beer before they started just to really put them in the mood. The friends ate and joked about, they talked about Joly and Musichetta and apparently they're coming back to Paris next week, they talked about Bahorel's next kickboxing match, Grantaire's paintings, Bossuet's next play and Cosette's new found job at an elementary school, the friends complimented Éponine's cooking but Courfeyrac butted in and said "I cooked most of them and she used MY recipe." All in all the night was great, even the marble man himself let out a few chuckles as Bahorel joked about so many things. They were all having fun and everything was just perfect, halfway through dinner Éponine stood up from her chair and clinked her fork with her wine glass.

"Guys, I got something to say." She said in between chuckles. Everyone stopped talking and looked at her. "These past few weeks have been so hard for me and without you guys it would've been so much worse." She smiled at her friends and they smiled back. "Without you guys, I honestly wouldn't know how to survive. You guys are the best people anyone can ever have in their lives and I just love you guys so much. Thank you for helping me get through a really bad break up, thanks for sticking up for me and thank you so much for getting me laid." Courfeyrac, Bahorel and Grantaire howled and clapped their hands while the rest of the Amis just laughed. Éponine raised her wine glass and looked at her friends one by one. "To us. I love us."

"To us." The group repeated and Éponine sat back down her chair.

"And speaking of getting laid," Cosette winked at her friend and smiled. "how did it go with Don?"

Éponine bit her lower lip and her cheeks went crimson. "It was _good._" She said in a sing-song voice, she chucked lightly at herself and emptied her wine glass

"So, are you going to see him again or?" Jehan fork was hanging on his lips and looked at Éponine with a friendly smile.

"One night stand, remember?" And so, the topic was dropped.

"Oh, Éponine I forgot to tell you," Feuilly swallowed his chicken whole just so he could speak. "There's a piano bar downtown, the owner loaned some money from the bank today and he asked if I knew someone who can play the piano and I recommended you."

"Oh my god, Feuilly! Thank you so much!" Éponine jumped up from her seat and walked around the table to hug Feuilly.

"Hey, don't worry about it"

"So, if you don't have a job yet, then how did you pay for all of this?" Combeferre questioned.

"I sold my car." She said in a as-a-matter-of-fact way.

"Really? That old thing? How much did you get for it?" Bahorel asked.

"Well 'that old thing' was enough to make this beautiful dinner and," she walked over to Combeferre and slipped money into his hands, "enough to pay the rent." Combeferre chuckled and smiled at her.

"Plus, I'm in Paris, why the hell would I need a car?"

* * *

"Hey, Comb, can you drive me to the thing?" Éponine gave looked at him with the sweetest smile and the cutest puppy eyes.

"What thing?" He said completely unmoved by Éponine's face.

"The audition thing," she said as she sat down next to him. "I need moral support, you know, what if I screw up?" Her eyes became wide opened as she realized what she just said. "Fuck, what if I screwed up?" She walked across the room breathing heavily, her nerves finally got a hold of her, she took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with cold water. "Oh my god, I'm going to screw this up" She drank the water and emptied the cup.

"Hey, look," Combeferre held her shoulders and looked directly at her brown eyes. "you're gonna be amazing and you're going to blow everyone away because you are awesome."

"You really think so?" Éponine found herself hugging the young man.

"I know so," he said as he hugged her back, "I can't take you though,"

"What?" she said pulling away from the hug

"I have to go help Bossuet clean their apartment before Musichetta and Joly comes back. But don't worry I'll tell Enjolras, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to drive you and support you,"

"I'm not going to drive her," Enjolras closed the door behind him and looked at the two, "I have better things to do," he placed the mail in the kitchen counter, "Why don't you ask Courfeyrac or better yet, ask Marius, or another suggestion, take a cab."

"Oh my god, man, you can be such a prick sometimes," Éponine rolled her eyes, annoyed, "you know what, thanks Comb, but I'm just going to go and take a cab, oh and Marius or Jehan or Courfeyrac can't take me because none of them are available," She walked to the bathroom and mumbled 'dick' under her breath

"Why won't you drive her?" Combeferre took a quick look at the mail in the kitchen counter.

"I have better things to do," Enjolras replied

"You got nothing planned for today," Combeferre looked at Enjolras,

"I just don't want to," Enjolras brushed his blond hair with his hands and walked towards the fridge, "plus, she already said she was going to take a cab, I don't see what's the big deal," Enjolras reached for a bottle of water and opened it.

"Come on, she's nervous and you know you're being a really crappy friend."

Enjolras mulled over what his friend said before he finally reached a decision, "Okay, fine, I'll drive her but she has to do something for me,"

* * *

"Is this the piano bar?" Enjolras parked his car in front of a restaurant with the sign 'Paris Piano Bar'

"Oh gee, I don't know professor, I mean there really is no indication that it is a piano bar other than that big, glowing sign in front of us that clearly says 'piano bar' in big, bold letters." She rolled her eyes, opened the door and walked out, she felt sick and cold, her hands were trembling and she was so nervous. She noticed Enjolras still sitting comfortably in his car

"Well, aren't you coming?"

"No, why? Do I have to?" Enjolras raised his eyebrow and looks at the trembling girl outside his car. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Trembling."

"Well, I cant fucking help it, okay? I'm nervous as fuck and you're not really helping." Enjolras rolled his eyes and rolled his windows up, he got out and locked his car and looked at Éponine. "Stop trembling." he said again

"Well, will you go in there with me?" She flashed him a winning smile and a wink

"If the place isn't tacky then I'll stay but if it's full of glitter and different lights and shitty music then I'll leave you alone, understood?"

She nodded and they walked in to the restaurant, she was still trembling so Enjolras just told her to think positively and told her to stop trembling. A nice bartender greeted them and asked Éponine questions and told her to just sit down near the piano as he called the owner. Enjolras sat down at one of the stools near the bar. The place wasn't half-bad; the blinds were open so the sun's rays reached the insides and the tables were all uniform and aligned, it was spacious but the place was rather small. The stage was at the very front with a grand piano at the left side , in the middle was a microphone and there was a spotlight on the second floor which also had tables. The second floor was open in the middle so they could see the stage, it had a very theatrical feel to it too. The place was opening next week and the bartenders were already filling up the bar with different kinds of alcohol and the people at the back were storing food and different kitchen utensils to use. A few minutes passed and the friendly bartender came back with an old man with grey hair and a grey beard. He shook hands with Éponine and smiled at the blonde man sitting at the end of the bar, they exchanged kind words and the introduced himself as Monsiuer Bishop.

"So, Éponine, Feuilly told me you play the piano and you also sing, is that correct?" He said as he took a seat in the middle table and smiled at her

"Yes, I actually just graduated from university." Éponine handed them a piece of paper that contained her information. Monsieur Bishop read her paper and looked back at Éponine with wide eyes

"Oh," His lips formed into a silly grin. "you're Éponine Jondrette! You wrote the song your batch sang during your graduation, Seasons of Love, right?" Éponine smiled and nodded humbly.

"Oh my goodness, I love that song," Monsieur Bishop chuckled. "I couldn't get it out of my head for a month, that song is so good." Éponine couldn't help but smile wildly at the compliment, her tan skin couldn't hide the red that was forming on her cheeks. She wrote that song during her last year in the university; the song was inspired by her friends and her classmates and most especially her favourite professor, professor Javert, he had HIV/AIDS but he was always so cheery and he didn't let it get him down, he was a friend and a father to Éponine.

"I've actually prepared a different song for this audition." Éponine swallowed. "If that's okay?"

"An original composition?" Monsieur Bishop asked.

"Yes"

"Well, sweetie, the stage is yours"

Èponine sat down in the small stool and inhaled deeply, she placed her hands on top of the piano keys and caressed the black and white keys, her hands were no longer trembling, she closed her eyes and lost herself completely in the music.

_Hold my breath and I'll count to ten_

_I'm the paper and you're the pen_

_You fill me in and you are permanent_

_And you'll leave me to dry_

_I'm the writer and she's the muse_

_I'm the one that you always choose_

_She will falter and gift her blame _

_And it starts all over again_

_Again again again_

* * *

Her fingers moved numbly and her eyes fluttered and opened a little, she could see nothing but a ray of white and light blue, she heard beeping noises and dropping water.

'Water' She thought.

"Water," Her voice was raspy and quiet, but it took her so much effort just to open her mouth. Just before she could say her request a little louder, she felt a rustling on her left side and a hand, a very familiar hand, pushed bits of her hair out of her face.

"Water," Her voice was still raspy but it was clearer and louder than before.

"'Ponine," His voice entered her ears and electrocuted her whole body, it was a sudden burst of energy, it rushed down her spine and woke her numbing brain. She opened her eyes, a little wider than before but now she can see the freckles of the man beside her and his wide, frantic eyes. "You're awake!" He chuckled, "You've gotten me all worried- wait- I have to tell the doctor,"

Marius rushed out of the room and Éponine suddenly felt a little colder without him by her side. She blinked, once then twice, she moved her head and looked down on her frail body.

'What happened?'

Then flashback rushed to her mind and her heartbeat increased, just as she started to move and freak out, the doctor and Marius walked in, then everything was a blur.

'Water'

She woke up again but now she had a little bit more energy in her, Marius was next to her with a plastic cup of water and a worried smile on his face.

"Hey," His voice was a little bit shaky and his hands were trembling a little. "still want that water?" She nodded, and he brought the plastic cup to her mouth and she gingerly and awkwardly drank the water.

"You know, Marius, I really can't pay for all of this," She said as she emptied the cup.

"Oh, no, the water's free," He replied which made her chuckle slightly,

"No, silly, the hospital bills."

"Don't worry, my grandfather has taken care of it," Before she could say something, Marius just fixed her pillows and told her to rest, she didn't have the energy to complain and she was a little bit tired, after a few seconds she was sleeping like a baby.

"Do I have to go to the trial?"

"No, you don't have to but you need to give your statement."

She had been awake from her coma for two days before a lawyer came up to talk to her about the incident and her parents and their criminal activity.

"What about Azelma and Gavroche?" Éponine looked at the lawyer straight in the eyes, she demanded the truth because, right then, that was the only thing she got left.

"They were taken in,"

"Where?"

"Child protective services," She cringed.

"Will I be able to see them?"

The lawyer took a deep sigh and looked down, he looked back up to face Éponine but she already knows the answer, she looked away so the lawyer can't see the vulnerability and pain showing in her face. "You're considered a-" The lawyer paused and tried to look fro a better word but Éponine beat him to it.

"A menace?" She looked at him with painful eyes, "a threat, a dangerous villain, a monster..." Her voice started to rise up and her chest felt sore and so did her wound, she was so distracted to notice that she was starting to get up from the bed and blood seeped out from her wound, "A junkie, an alcoholic, a smoker, a pain, a social cancer-"

"Unstable." The lawyer remained calm, "You're considered too unstable to be able to take care of two young minors. You really need some rest, Miss Éponine, and before I go, here," Éponine sank back down and tried to calm herself, it wasn't this guy's fault that her siblings were away or her parents were arrested. It wasn't his fault that she's in misery and that she will forever be in misery, this guy was just doing his job. It wasn't he that she should blame. The lawyer gave her a piece of paper which she tried to read but she became tired and the words just started to blur.

"That's your new name and identity, we didn't change much though, it's to make sure your father's old business associates don't hunt you,"

'Éponine Jondrette' and that was it, just like that, she was brand new. She had a new name, her parents' names were also different, she was supposedly an only child.

Her room was filled with flowers and cards and chocolates, Marius's friends came in and visited her, she was tired but being with the company of these young men made her feel accepted as if she was part of something. They were all very interested in how she was feeling, they didn't even asked about the incident and for that Éponine was grateful. They were there for a solid 2 hours, just talking about random things and joking and they all reminded her how she was so strong and how she saved Marius' ass. After they left she was left alone in the room with Marius, it was a bit awkward at first and then something hit her.

_**".**_**_.._**_** I believe I was a little bit in love with you."**_

'FUCK!' She screamed mentally, which made her brain shake a little.

"So, um," Marius' light green eyes moved sideways trying to avoid her brown ones.

_'Please don't bring that one thing up, please, please, please'_

"Before you passed out you said something,"

_'Boom goes the dynamite,'_ He moved forward and walked over to her, he sat at the edge of the bed and still trying to avoid eye contact. "You told me you loved me, is that true?"

_'YES! Yes, ever since the day I met you I, Éponine Then- Jondrette, has been in love with you.'_

"I don't recall," She said dumbly, she wanted this 'talk' for so long but now that they're actually talking about 'this', she immediately regretted telling him her secret, plus it's not like she knew she was going to live.

"You don't?" Confusion showered on the young Pontmercy's face and Èponine finally gave in.

"Look, it's okay if you don't feel the same way, just-" She was cut off by a sudden impact of lips into hers, she was shocked but she relaxed to it. She was kissing him! Surely this was how it was supposed to go, right? Why were there no fireworks? No spark? No anything, it was just that, lips on lips, nothing more. And yet, she was satisfied and she didn't know why, her heart was beating rapidly, it may not have felt the way she expected it would feel but he still kissed her, the love of her life kissed her. When he let go, she felt sad and cold, but then realised she had just kissed Marius, a beautiful smile formed on her lips.

_She is bright lights and cityscapes_

_I'm white lies that cavalcades_

_And she'll take all you ever have_

_But I'm gonna love you_

_You say maybe it'll last this time_

_But I'm gonna love you_

_You never have to ask_

_I'm gonna love you_

_'Til you start looking back_

_I'm gonna love you_

_So right_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

The kisses had been like that for the past three days and she knew something wasn't right. She knew that those kisses weren't kisses of love, they were kisses of gratefulness and friendliness and pity. Marius didn't feel the same way about her, her unrequited love would forever be unrequited and it hurt her deeply, she was a friend to him and that was all.

"Marius, can I talk to you?" She had in the hospital for the past two weeks and the les Amis had been taking turns visiting her and she had formed friendships with them and she was happy about that.

Marius looked away from the TV and faced her, he lowered the volume because he felt that this was going to be something huge.

"You're not in love with me," She breathed out, trying to start everything off rarely starightforward, her own words hurt her deep because they were the true. "And that's fine, this between us isn't love, you feel obligated to do this to me because I took a bullet to save you and you don't have to do this anymore because, to be honest, I'd rather have you as a real friend than a fake lover." She finished and took a feel breath, she felt like what she just said was the cheesiest thing ever and she cursed herself for that.

Relief washed over Marius' face and it broke her heart but she tried to looked happy, even smiling as he hugged her, it would take a long time to get over Marius and to get over the fact that he only sees her as a friend.

_'Boom goes my heart.'_

_Shield your eyes from the truth at hand_

_Tell me why it'll be good again_

_All those demons are closing in_

_And I don't want you to burn_

_Never mind what I said before_

_I don't want any less anymore_

_You are carbon and I am flame_

_I will rise and you will_

_Remain_

_"_'Ponine you better hurry up," Marius words faded in the distance as Éponine rushed back to the bookshop she was working at, she forgot her music sheets the other day and she's come to pick them up. She was already at her third year in uni and she had already started to adjust to her new life. Monsieur Gillernomand was kind enough to pay for her university fees.

"Sweet Éponine, this isn't enough to repay you for what you have done to Marius and his family. We are forever indebted to you." The old man said when he proposed the idea that she goes to uni, she wanted to go to the university, but being paid for by an old man she barely knew wasn't how she planned on doing it. But then again, she had nothing to lose, she didn't have anyone but Marius, plus, she need to rebuild her life. She hesitated but Marius kept going on and on about how amazing university life is and how it's going to give her better opportunities for the future. She only accepted because she didn't want to end up like her parents.

She approached the desk and noticed that the owner was there.

"You know, these are really good." Lily, the owner, said as she handed the sheets to Èponine.

"Thanks," Dimples showed up on her cheeks as the woman gave her the compliment.

"Hi, um, excuse me for interrupting but do you have, by chance, any copies of Au Pays des Moines by Rizal?" A blonde girl smiled at the two despite her obviously stressed look, although she looked tired, the blonde looked beautiful and for a split second a girl with the same blonde hair and blue eyes came into the mind of Éponine.

"Why, yes, just wait here and I'll get it for you. It's one of our classics, actually..." Lily went on and on about the books of her bookshop but Éponine couldn't help but stare at the girl, she knew her from somewhere but she just can't remember.

'Cosette' her mother's voice came to life and then everything flashed in an instant.

"Cosette," She said in a whisper but loud enough to be heard by the girl next to her. Lily had already gone in search of the book.

"Yes?" Cosette perked up, Éponine couldn't believe her eyes, this was the girl she bullied when they were younger, the girl in rags, the orphan that was left to them to be taken care off.

"Hi," Éponine said dumbly, she looked at the blonde. She was beautiful, that she can assure herself, the blonde looked friendly and happy and-

'Wait, no, that's not her' Éponine tried to recall. 'Wait, no, maybe it is.'

"Yes?" The blonde repeated, "how do you know my name?"

'Cosette, now I remember,'

"You're Cosette?" She asked, 'Maybe the both of them just have the same name.'

"Yup, and you are?"

"Éponine," the blonde held out her hand and Éponine shooked it, her porcelain skin was soft and she smiled at her, revealing her white teeth.

"Thenardier?" Cosette's smiling face transformed into a more serious look.

_'It's you'_ Éponine thought but should she tell her? Should she tell Cosette that she was the daughter of the people that made this young girl's childhood life miserable? "Jondrette, actually" Éponine grabbed her stuff and bid a quick farewell to the confused girl. That was not the time to be reminiscing her past, she had just moved on, why must she meet her? She walked out of the bookstore and Marius waved at her.

* * *

"Finally, the boys will be pretty ma-" Marius stopped, his gaze moved away from Éponine and fixed on the girl running towards her; a blonde girl, her golden hair flying behind her. Suddenly something hit Marius harder than anything, he didn't dare blink, the world was suddenly in slow motion, for a split second she looked back and they made eye contact but then it was gone and she came running back to the bookstore. With her was his heart.

"Marius," Éponine's voice brought him back to reality and everything felt fast, it was as if someone had just fast-forwarded time, "Let's go." Éponine started walking to the direction of the Musain but Marius gently grabbed her elbows, she turned around and Marius still had that look.

"Éponine, who was that girl?" Marius said, he looked at Éponine and then looked back at the place where the blonde girl just stood.

_For bright lights and cityscapes_

_And landslides and masquerades_

_And she'll take all you ever have_

_But I'm gonna love you_

_You say, "Maybe it'll last this time"_

_But I'm gonna love you_

_You never have to ask_

_I'm gonna love you_

_'Til you start looking back_

"What girl?" Éponine knew who he was talking about.

"That girl, the blonde one, the one that gave you your music sheet, the one with the blue eyes and stripey jumper,"

"Oh," She knew she had lost him to Cosette. "That girl," That's when she knew he was a goner. She introduced them a couple of days later and revealed her true identity to Cosette. Éponine tried to be happy for the both of them but there were just times when she would lie in her bed and cry her eyes out. Instead of doing that nightly, she decided to write a song.

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

_I wouldn't need a second chance_

The bar was silent, the employees all stopped what they were doing to listen to her, their eyes fixed on the brunette that just poured her heart out on stage. Her last note still hung in the air and time slowed down, as if still hanging on to the song, never letting it end. Then, like all things, the song stopped but no one had the heart to move after it. "That was beautiful," and there were no other words to describe it.

Èponine stood up from her stool and the world started to turn again, the employees and the workers slowly emerged from their daze and started walking frantically around, only then did Èponine noticed that everyone in the place was watching her and listening to her.

"Can you come by this Friday dear? I'd like to go over a couple of things with you." Monsieur Bishop walked over to the girl and shook her hands again.

"Wait, so did I get it?"

"Yes, darling, that was just completely beautiful."

"Oh My God! Thank you so much!" She rushed over to the older man and hugged him, she let go and her face was red from embarrassment and happiness. After endless thank yous and your welcomes, Éponine and Enjolras walked out of the bar.

"How can someone so young sing something so sad?" Monsieur Bishop muttered as he walked back to his office.

* * *

"Oh my god! I got the job!" Éponine cranked up the volume but Enjolras just lowered it down the second her hands slipped away from the radio. She just continued dancing in her seat and singing along to the barely hear-able Paradise City by Guns n' Roses.

"Hey," She fixed her eyes on the man sitting next to him,"thanks for driving me."

"You still remember our deal, right? No loud sex with strangers especially during weekdays" Èponine just laughed. "But congratulations."

"Thank you, Enjolras."

* * *

**a/n: hello guys, im really sorry for the late update, i really am, there is no excuse. i'll be writing endlessly this summer and i will update as soon as i can. Oh and the songs is Brightlights and Cityscapes by Sara Bareilles **

**thank you so much for sticking up with me even though im a crappy updater, sorry**

**AND ALSO, **

**A LOT OF THINGS HAS HAPPENED THIS WEEK, ESPECIALLY TODAY**

**GEORGE ZIMMERMAN WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY**

**TEXAS BANNED ABORTION**

**and there's so much more.**

**guys i think 2013 is defective.**

**let's all just stay strong and i am just a little upset and sad and disappointed**

**thank you**

**-georgette-**


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